[10] Special metropolitan police forces are in Damascus, Aleppo, and other major cities overseen directly by the Director General.

[12] The Public Security Police collapsed in 2024 with the fall of the Assad regime and flight of Bashar al-Assad.

The Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham brought its police force from Idlib to maintained order and security in the country.

[16] Districts are headed by Directors ranking from Colonel to Brigadier General,[17] while subdistricts are led by junior officers.

[21] Regular police units appear to be equipped with the AKM assault rifles and the Browning Hi-Power, Makarov PM, Stechkin-APS and GSh-18 pistols.

[22][23] Elite police units, such as Syrian Special Mission Forces, are equipped with AK-103, AK-104 assault rifles and Kord machine guns.

Generally speaking, policemen assigned to security tasks wear the military olive green with garrison caps,[27] but also camouflage.

[28] Since 2009, the Government has decided to change traffic policemen's uniforms from military olive green to grey pants, a white shirt with yellow shoulder patches and black belt and shoes.

Citizens in Syria began using cyber community policing tactics via social media as a way to address the conflict happening around them.

[40] Upon arrest, the individual or suspect is brought to a police station for processing and detained until a trial date is set.

Within the Criminal Security there is a subdivision known as the "Department of Protection of Public Moralities", tasked with investigating suspect homosexuals and their activities.

[45] In April 2024, Major General Turki Al-Saeed was named as a Director of the Criminal Security Department.

The Riot police (Arabic: شرطة مكافحة الشغب)[55] is part of the Criminal Security Directorate.

[59] During the Syrian war, the riot police has been used in order to break early protests; according to pro-opposition opinionists, it even opened fire on demonstrators.

[62][63] Other heavier equipment includes armoured personnel carriers, water cannons,[64] tear gas and pepper spray.

[66][67] Policemen assigned to security and riot control duty wear the military olive green with garrison caps,[27] but also camouflage.