'''Police''' [{{IPA-pl|p|o|'|l|i|c|e}}] ({{lang-de|Pölitz}}; [[Kashubian language|Kashubian]]/[[Pomeranian language|Pomeranian]]: ''Pòlice'') is a town in the [[West Pomeranian Voivodeship]], northwestern [[Poland]]. It is the capital of [[Police County]]. As of 2005, the town had 34.319 inhabitants.

=== German town ===

The settlement was first mentioned in 1243. [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomeranian duke]] [[Barnim I|Barnim of Pomerania]] granted [[Magdeburg law]] to the town in [[1260]]. In [[1321]] the town became a dependency of nearby [[Stettin]] (now Szczecin), hindering its growth until the mid-18th century. In 1808, Pölitz became independent from Stettin again.

In 1937, the [[Bergius process|synthetic fuel]] plant ''Hydrierwerke Pölitz AG'' was founded by [[IG Farben]], [[Rhenania-Ossag]], and [[Esso|Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft]]. The plant derived its workforce from an adjacent system of camps (Pommernlager, Nordlager, Tobruklager, Wullenwever-Lager, Arbeitserziehungslager Hägerwelle, Dürrfeld Lager). A trade ship moored on the [[Oder River]] also served as a camp (Umschulungslager Bremerhaven). In addition, a subcamp of the [[Stutthof concentration camp]] was located in Pölitz. During [[World War II]], the plant made Pölitz a bombing target of the [[Allies (WWII)|Allied]] [[Oil Campaign of World War II]].

Notable buildings from the German era are

*the ruins of [[Jasenitz Abbey]], a former [[Augustinians]]' abbey in [[Jasienica, Police|Police-Jasienica]] (14th century)

*a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] Church in [[Jasienica, Police|Police-Jasienica]] (14th/18th century)

*a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Chapel]] (15th century) in The [[Bolesław Chrobry|Chrobry]] Square in [[Police Old Town|The Old Town]]

*a [[Neo-Gothic]] Church (19th century) in [[Police Old Town|the Old Town]]

*the Police [[Lapidary]] in The Staromiejski Park in [[Police Old Town|the Old Town]]

*[[Tenement house]]s (19th century)

*[[Town hall]] (1906) (not rebuilt after WWII)

<gallery perrow=5>

File:Wik 21 klasztor Police - Jasienica.jpg|Ruins of [[Jasenitz Abbey]] (14th century)

File:Wik Police - Jasienica kościół fragm S5000862.jpg|[[Jasienica, Police|Jasienica]] Gothic church (14th/18th century)

File:Wik 8 police - stare miasto, kaplica gotycka.jpg|Gothic Chapel (15th century), Old Town

File:0904 K NPNMP Police 8.JPG|Neo-Gothic Church (19th century), Old Town

File:ElewatorWeglowyPolice.jpg|Ruins of the synthetic petrol plant (Hydrierwerke Pölitz – Aktiengeselschaft)

</gallery>

=== Soviet and Polish town ===

[[File:0904 OsAnJag Police ZPL.JPG|thumb|150px|Wysyńskiego Street in the New Town of Police]]

The city with the plant was captured by the [[Red Army]] during the [[Battle of Berlin]] on [[26 April]] [[1945]]. While mostof the [[former eastern territories of Germany|former German territory]] east of the [[Oder-Neisse line]] became Polish, Pölitz remained a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-administered exclave. German slave workers had to disassemble the plant before it was sent to the [[USSR]]. Gradually, the area without the plant was given to Poland: [[Mścięcino]] (formerly ''Messenthin'') on [[7 September]] [[1946]], and Police (formerly ''Pölitz'') with [[Jasienica, Police|Jasienica]] (formerly ''Jasenitz'') on [[19 September]]. On [[25 February]] [[1947]] the plant also passed to Polish control. [[Recovered Territories|Polish settlers arrived]] in the region to replace the native [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland|population that had fled or was expelled]]. The Polish settlers were joined by refugees from [[Greece]] and [[Republic of Macedonia|Yugoslav Macedonia]] in 1953.

A large chemical plant (''Zakłady Chemiczne "Police"'') was built in the town in [[1969]] and has grown since to become one of the largest in Poland. It produces mostly [[titanium dioxide]] pigments and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.

Police is in the [[West Pomeranian Voivodeship]] since [[1999]], previously it was in the [[Szczecin Voivodeship]] (1946-1998).

==Geography and nature==

[[File:Wik Pce SDC16331.JPG|thumb|150px|Mścięcino Park near a border between [[Szczecin]] and Police]]

[[File:Polickie lapidarium.jpg|thumb|150px|The Police Lapidary]]

Police is situated on the [[Oder River]] and an [[estuary]] of the [[Oder River]] - [[Roztoka Odrzańska]], south of the [[Lagoon of Szczecin]] and the [[Bay of Pomerania]]. The centre of Police Town is situated about 15&nbsp;km north of the centre of [[Szczecin]]. Police is at located in the [[Ueckermünder Heide]] ({{lang-pl|Puszcza Wkrzańska}}) with the [[Świdwie Nature Reserve]] around Lake Świdwie ({{lang-pl|Jezioro Świdwie}}) near [[Tanowo]] and [[Dobra (Powiat Policki)|Dobra]]. A [[kayak]] route follows the [[Gunica]] River from [[Węgornik]] through [[Tanowo]], [[Tatynia]] and [[Wieńkowo]] to [[Jasienica, Police|Police-Jasienica]]. At the [[Szczecin Lagoon]] (({{lang-pl|Zalew Szczeciński}}, {{lang-de|Stettiner Haff}}) is a small [[yacht]] marina on the mouth of the Łarpia River (part of [[Oder]]) - 'Olimpia'. The ruins of the synthetic petrol plant (Hydrierwerke Pölitz – Aktiengeselschaft) are now a habitat of [[bat]]s ([[Barbastelle]], [[Greater mouse-eared bat]], [[Daubenton's Bat]], [[Natterer's bat]], [[Brown long-eared bat]]).

== Population ==

== Infrastructure ==

<gallery>

File:Pce Mśc SDC16374.JPG|Cisowa Street in Police-[[Mścięcino]]

File:Wik 17 Police, dworzec główny.jpg|The Main Railway Station in Police

File:Wik 11 police, przystanek autobusowy komunikacji miejskiej.jpg|Bus stop in Police

File:Wik Police ul. Siedlecka SDC16604.JPG|Bus stop in Police]]

</gallery>