Politiets Efterretningstjeneste

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Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET) or in English Danish Security Intelligence Service(DSIS) is the national security intelligence agency of Denmark.

1 Mission
2 Areas of involvement
3 Organisation and supervision
4 Criticism and public relations
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Mission

The stated overall purpose of PET is to ”prevent, investigate and counter operations and activities that pose or may pose a threat to the preservation of Denmark as a free, democratic and safe country.”[1]

[edit] Areas of involvement

PET focus solely upon domestic security while foreign intelligence operations is handled by Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste(FE) - an intelligence branch under the Danish military.

The three main duties of the PET are condensed in the words: Counterterrorism, counter-extremism and counterespionage.[2]

Counterterrorism does not only encompass stopping terrorist attacks upon Denmark and Danish interests but also to ensure Denmark isn’t used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorist attacks in and against other countries.[3] Furthermore PET attempt to gather evidence to ensure that terrorists are prosecuted. Denmark is obliged by UN and EU resolutions to support other states in prosecuting terrorists.[4]

Aside from the three main areas PET also provides counselling to Danish companies on how to avoid espionage(but is only directly involved in countering industrial espionage if an agency of a foreign government is involved).[5][6] It has a role as national security advisor to the Danish government, public authorities and other branches of the police along with a number of other activities common to domestic security organisations. [7]

PET also provide bodyguard service for Danish royalty, politicians and other persons.[8]

[edit] Organisation and supervision

PET is a part of the Danish police but refers directly to the Minister of Justice.[9]

Several organs oversee PET in order to make sure the agency does not misuse its powers. These include Regeringens og Embedsmændenes Sikkerhedsudvalg(lit: Security Council of the Government and Government Officials), the courts(which has to approve many special steps of investigation by PET) and Wambergudvalget(lit: The Wamberg council) which have acces to PET’s registrations in order to ensure that they are not used to persecute anyone on the basis of political convictions alone.[10]

Besides the head quarters in Copenhagen and an office in Århus PET has representatives in every police district in Denmark.[11]

[edit] Criticism and public relations

PET was criticised in the late 1990’s for being closed to the public and has tried to counter these claims by adopting a more open approach. Thus PET has taken to maintain a website explaining its overall aims and obligations and publishing an annual public report surveying extremist activities in Denmark and the threat level to national domestic security(albeit only in a very overall fashion).[12]