security police

noun

1. a police force responsible for maintaining order at a specific locale or under specific circumstances, as at an airport or factory.
2. a police force concerned with detecting and preventing enemy espionage.
3. secret police.

Word History and Origins

Origin of security police¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

He said it quickly dawned on him “because parades usually have barricades, security, police and some sort of organisation” and he could see no evidence of that, just “vast amounts of people”.

From BBC

I was still in shock, from the overwhelming media attention on top of seeing Brian, a former Air National Guard Security Police officer and United States Capitol Police officer of 12 years, reduced to a small wooden box on top of an American Flag.

From Salon

"They were scared that it could be a trap set up by the security police and would say things like, 'We won't accept money from traitors.'"

From BBC

Estonian Internal Security Service, or security police, said it launched an investigation into Vyacheslav Morozov, a Russian national and professor of international politics at the University of Tartu, for his alleged involvement in intelligence activity meant to undermine the country’s national security.

From Seattle Times

Hours into their meeting, they approved a decision to form the party, catching the security police by surprise.

From New York Times