| Valsts drošības dienests | |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 25 August 1919 (restored 26 March 1990) |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Latvia |
| Headquarters | Brīvības gatve 207, Riga, Latvia |
| Website | vdd.gov.lv |
The State Security Service or VDD (Latvian: Valsts drošības dienests) is one of three Latvian security and intelligence services. VDD is the civilian counterintelligence and internal security service, which gathers intelligence from a number of sources and conducts its analysis, informs senior state officials about the identified risks to national security as well as acting to neutralize those risks.
VDD's competence is counterintelligence, protection of state secrets, protection of the constitutional order, economic security, counterterrorism as well as dignitary protection. Among the three Latvian security and intelligence services VDD is the only one authorized to conduct pre-trial investigation (initiate criminal proceedings and refer the case for launching criminal prosecution as well as detain persons).
The oversight of VDD's activities is conducted by the Minister for the Interior, the Prosecutor General's Office performs the oversight of VDD's conduct of operational measures and the legitimacy of the pre-trial investigation process, while the parliamentary control over VDD is exercised by the National Security Commission of the Saeima.
In terms of its mission, functions and tasks VDD is the successor to the State Security Department of Latvia (established in 1919) - the first civilian counterintelligence and internal security service of Latvia.