In contrast to the protection of the constitution, the protection of the state by the police has executive powers, such as searching people or homes, and only takes action when there is a concrete danger or a crime has been committed. The Protection of the Constitution already takes action when efforts against the free democratic basic order are recognizable. It therefore performs the function of an early warning system in a defensive democracy.

Police state security is organized decentrally in North Rhine-Westphalia, i.e. 16 police headquarters (so-called §2 authorities of the KHSt ordinance) have state security departments that are responsible for their local district.

In addition, the counter-terrorism/state security department at the NRW State Criminal Police Office (LKA NRW) deals with politically motivated crime (PMK). It is responsible for the subject area of Islamist terrorism in the phenomenon area of PMK-religious ideology, as well as for the phenomenon areas of PMK-right, PMK-left, PMK-foreign ideology, espionage/proliferation and other politically motivated crimes. The LKA NRW is responsible for central and state-wide evaluation, coordination and controlling. It maintains contact with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the intelligence services. In certain cases, it also conducts independent investigations. The LKA NRW is responsible for investigations in particular if there are indications of supra-regional, transnational or international crime connections and centralized task management at state level is required.