The Criminal Police organizes and conducts work on the prevention, suppression, detection, and investigation of crimes, and implements state policy in the sphere of combating crime, within its competence.

Functions:

• Conducting operational-search activities aimed at the prevention, suppression, detection, and investigation of crimes, as well as the search for criminals.
• Organizing and conducting, in accordance with the established legislative procedure, operational-search measures and operations for the detention of individuals who have committed crimes, as well as providing assistance in their conduct and implementation to other law enforcement and special state bodies.
• Organizing and conducting the search for individuals who have committed crimes, who have absconded from preliminary investigation, inquiry, and court, who evade the execution of criminal punishment, conscription for military service, missing persons, and other individuals, as well as the identification of unidentified corpses.
• Exercising control over the conduct of operational-search and special measures, including over units and employees of internal affairs bodies who have the right to conduct them.
• Exercising control over the activities of subordinate internal affairs bodies and units.
• Organizing the solving of crimes of an interregional and interstate nature conducted by internal affairs bodies.
• Forming and utilizing information and analytical systems for solving crimes and establishing criminals and their connections.
• Forming and maintaining special records.
• Organizing and conducting operational control over the behavior of individuals registered with internal affairs bodies.
• Developing measures aimed at improving the prevention of offenses and crime.
• Implementing state programs in the sphere of countering crime.
• Conducting, within its competence, operational-search measures aimed at protecting the constitutional order of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Participating in the suppression of mass riots.