Tbh you have to ask what is even a secret police? It’s, supposedly, people in a police force (i.e. a tool of repression from the state) that don’t identify themselves as such, for example by wearing
By that definition when you come across an undercover cop, they’re secret police. When the cop has left work and changed into their civilian clothes and you wait in line with them at the store, they’re secret police. When the feds want to ask you some question and don’t identify themselves (but you still have to obey because they’re still cops), they’re secret police.
“Secret police” is one of those words that sounds scary but it means nothing in practice. Under Lenin the Soviets started the NKVD who was military police. The NKVD investigated military matters, and during the revolution they also investigated into the enemies of the army, as it was a military matter too. For example if an enemy soldier surrenders, then it makes sense to turn them over to the military police for questioning.
Tbh you have to ask what is even a secret police? It’s, supposedly, people in a police force (i.e. a tool of repression from the state) that don’t identify themselves as such, for example by wearing
By that definition when you come across an undercover cop, they’re secret police. When the cop has left work and changed into their civilian clothes and you wait in line with them at the store, they’re secret police. When the feds want to ask you some question and don’t identify themselves (but you still have to obey because they’re still cops), they’re secret police.
“Secret police” is one of those words that sounds scary but it means nothing in practice. Under Lenin the Soviets started the NKVD who was military police. The NKVD investigated military matters, and during the revolution they also investigated into the enemies of the army, as it was a military matter too. For example if an enemy soldier surrenders, then it makes sense to turn them over to the military police for questioning.