National Gendarmerie
| National Gendarmerie Gendarmerie nationale | |
|---|---|
Logo of the National Gendarmerie | |
| Common name | Gendarmerie |
| Motto | Pour la patrie, l'honneur et le droit (For the fatherland, honour and law) |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 16 February 1791 (235 years, 29 days ago) |
| Preceding agency | |
| Employees | 102,162 people (2023) |
| Volunteers | 12,602 volunteers (2018) |
| Annual budget | €11.12 billion (2026) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | France |
| Operations jurisdiction | France |
| Constituting instrument |
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| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdiction |
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| Operational structure | |
| Officers and NCOs |
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| Civilian staffs | 4,424 people (2018) |
| Ministers responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Ministry of the Interior Ministry of Armed Forces |
| Components | Gendarmerie components
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| Website | |
| www | |
The National Gendarmerie (French: Gendarmerie nationale [ʒɑ̃daʁməʁi nɑsjɔnal] - ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police.
The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, with additional duties from the Ministry of Armed Forces. Its responsibilities include policing smaller towns, suburbs and rural areas (around 51% of the French population and 96% of its territory), crowd and riot control, and criminal investigation, including cybercrime. By contrast, the National Police is a civilian law enforcement agency that is in charge of policing cities and larger towns. Because of its military status, the Gendarmerie also fulfills a range of military and defence missions.
The Gendarmerie has a strength of around 102,162 people (as of 2023).
The Gendarmerie is the heir of the Maréchaussée, the oldest police force in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. Historically, the term "gens d'armes" (Man-at-arms) referred to armed soldiers or units associated with the royal or noble forces in France. The Gendarmerie has influenced the culture and traditions of gendarmerie forces around the world, especially in independent countries from the former French colonial empire.