Veřejná bezpečnost
Public Security, Slovak: Verejná bezpečnosť ) was the regular police force of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, created in 1945 as a branch of the National Security Corps, which also included State Security, Armed Airport Security ) and Armed Railway Security,.
The VB was divided into the Public Order and Traffic VB, Criminal Investigations VB,
and an Infrastructure Security section. There were regional, district, city and local detachments of the force. On 15 June 1991, it ceased to exist and its functions transferred to the new police forces of the Czech and Slovak republics.
The VB were permitted to demand from any citizen an občanský průkaz. This booklet contained a photograph and information such as name, current address and place of employment. As carrying an občanský průkaz was mandatory; a person could be detained for simply not having one in their possession.
The auxiliary wing was the 'Public Security Auxiliary Guard', recruited from "politically reliable" citizens over the age of 21, who wore a red arm-band with "PS VB". They were generally used for traffic control and public order duties.
VB vehicles were originally blue with a white line along the side. Later vehicles had panels painted orange and white in a similar pattern to American 'black and whites', which the pattern's designer admitted after the fall of the regime was his inspiration. The full name 'Veřejná bezpečnost' was used with the blue design while later vehicles had only the letters 'VB' written the white doors.
VB uniforms were also originally dark blue until the 1960s, when they changed to a khaki colour described officially as 'nettle green', with rank insignia on red epaulettes, which did not follow Soviet patterns, except for junior officers.
Rank structure
| Rank in Czech | English Translation | Insignia |
| Praporčické | Warrant Officers/NCO's | |
| Rotný | Junior Sergeant | one silver star |
| Strážmistr | Sergeant | two silver stars |
| Nadstrážmistr | Staff Sergeant | three silver stars |
| Podpraporčík | Junior Warrant Officer | one silver star with silver edging to epaulette |
| Praporčík | Warrant Officer | two silver stars with silver edging |
| Nadpraporčík | Senior Warrant Officer | three silver stars with silver edging |
| Důstojnické hodnosti | Officers | |
| Podporučík | Junior Lieutenant | one gold star |
| Poručík | Lieutenant | two gold stars |
| Nadporučík | Senior Lieutenant | three gold stars, arranged in triangle |
| Kapitán | Captain | three gold stars arranged in a triangle, with a fourth above them |
| Major | Major | one gold star with gold edging to epaulette |
| Podplukovník | Lieutenant Colonel | two gold stars with gold edging |
| Plukovník | Colonel | three gold stars, arranged in triangle, with gold edging |
| Generálové | General Officers | |
| Generálmajor | Major General | one large gold star with crossed staffs and gold braid edging |
| Generálporučík | Lieutenant General | two large gold stars with crossed staffs and gold braid edging |
| Generálplukovník | Colonel General | three large gold stars with crossed staffs and gold braid edging |