The ''Jandarmeria Română'' () is the national
Gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
force of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
, tasked with high-risk and specialized law enforcement duties. It is one of the two main police forces in Romania (the other being the
Romanian Police - a
civilian force
Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, ...
), both having jurisdiction over the civilian population.
The
gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
is subordinated
Ministry of Internal Affairs and does not have responsibility for policing the
Romanian Armed Forces. This duty lies with the
Military Police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, Screening (tactical), ...
subordinated to the
Romanian Land Forces.
History
The beginnings
The first Gendarmerie corps was created on 3 April 1850 in
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centra ...
by Prince
Grigore Alexandru Ghica. After the
Union of Moldavia and
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
in 1859 under Prince
Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Gendarmerie was subordinated to the Ministry of War as a separate armed force.
[''Repere istorice'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
During the
Romanian War of Independence of 1877–1878, it mainly served as
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, Screening (tactical), ...
, but it also took part in combat.
Rural Gendarmerie
In 1893, the Rural Gendarmerie (''Jandarmeria Rurală'') was established by the Law for the Organization of the Rural Gendarmerie (''Legea pentru organizarea Jandarmeriei rurale'') as a military corps under the authority of the Ministry of Justice for policing the
countryside and under the authority of Ministry of War for military police functions. The bill was proposed by
Lascăr Catargiu
Lascăr Catargiu ( or Lascăr Catargi; 1 November 1823 – ) was a Romanian conservative statesman born in Moldavia. He belonged to an ancient Wallachian family, one of whose members had been banished in the 17th century by Prince Matei Basarab ...
's
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
government and it was promulgated by the
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...
on 30 August 1893.
The first article of the Ordinance regarding the Implementation of the Rural Gendarmerie Law mentioned that:
The organization of the Rural Gendarmerie, as described in the law, makes this institution a military body, subordinated to the Internal Affairs Minister, with the mission to maintain the public order and security. It is also subordinated to the Justice Minister, the Public Minister for policing duties, and to the War Minister for all the aspects regarding military discipline, command and troops' training.
The
Peasants' Revolt of 1907 revealed the unpreparedness of the Gendarmerie and its inability to control and quell the rebellion. As a result, another bill (''Legea Jandarmeriei'') was adopted on 24 March 1908. The new law re-organized the institution, making it a component of the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
with provost duties and transferring commissioned officers from the Army to the Gendarmerie.
The world wars
The Romanian Gendarmerie was engaged during the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
and the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
with military police duties, policing the
front
Front may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film
* '' The Front'', 1976 film
Music
*The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...
, guarding important installations and organizing the evacuation during the 1916 retreat. The corps also saw actual combat during the 1917 campaign (''see also
Romanian Campaign (World War I)''). The Gendarmerie oversaw the
demobilization of the Army in July 1918 and the re-
mobilization
Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories an ...
in October 1918 and maintained the public order in the new territories.
Upon the entry of Romania into the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
on 22 June 1941, the Gendarmerie took over its military police duties again. It was also involved in the deportation of
Jews and
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
to
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
in 1941 and 1942 (''see also
Romania and the Holocaust'').
Cold War era
After the war, the
Communist regime purged and disbanded (on 23 January 1949) the Gendarmerie, its personnel being redistributed to the newly created
Directorate for Security Troops, modeled after the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
Internal Troops.
After 1989
The Romanian Gendarmerie was re-established on 5 July 1990.
Starting in 2006, the corps abandoned conscription and in 2007 it became an all-professional military force.
The mission and duties
Its mission:
Law no. 550/2004 regarding the organization and functioning of the Romanian Gendarmerie
Art. 1. -
(1) The Romanian Gendarmerie is the specialized institution of the state, with military status, component of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which exercises, under the law, its attributions regarding the defense of public order and peace, of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, public and private property, the prevention and detection of crime and other violations of the laws in force, as well as the protection of fundamental state institutions and the fight against acts of terrorism.
jurisprudence
(2) The Romanian Gendarmerie, through attributions, organization, training and territorial disposition, contributes to guaranteeing the sovereignty, independence, authority, unity and security of the state, constitutional democracy on the entire national territory both in peacetime and in crisis situations.
Article 2. -
The Romanian Gendarmerie carries out its activity in the interest of the citizens, of the community and in the support of the state institutions, exclusively on the basis and in the execution of the law.
Article 3. -
(1) The Romanian Gendarmerie cooperates, in fulfilling its attributions according to the law, with the other components of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with structures of the defense and national security system and collaborates with organizations, institutions and authorities of central and local public administration, organizations non-governmental organizations, with other legal entities, as well as with natural persons.
(2) The Romanian Gendarmerie participates, in accordance with the law, in actions organized within the Association of European and Mediterranean Police and Gendarmerie Forces with Military Status or in those organized by similar bodies of other states and fulfills peacekeeping missions, according to international commitments assumed by Romania.
Its duties include:
* Maintaining and restoring the public order:
**
Crowd and
riot control
Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest.
If a riot is spontaneous and irra ...
** Policing the mountainous areas and the
Black Sea Coast resorts
**
Counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that Government, governments, law enforcement, business, and Intelligence agency, intellig ...
activities
* Pursuing and apprehending
fugitive
A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also kn ...
s and
deserters
* Security of sensitive and vital installations, such as:
** Public institutions, ministries and courts
** Embassies and consulates
** International airports (until 2005)
** National museums
** Nuclear power plants
* Security and protection of the secret mail all over the Romanian territory.
Organization
General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie
The General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie is the central structure of the Romanian Gendarmerie under the command of a General Inspector (''Inspector-general'') appointed by the Minister of Internal Affairs.
[''I.G.J.R. - Atribuţii'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
The General Inspector is assisted by 3 deputies. The first deputy (''prim-adjunct'') is the chief of the Gendarmerie Staff and heads the Operational Planning and Management, Guard and Institutional Protection and the Public Order and Security Directorates. The other two deputies manage the Human Resources and the Military Schools Directorates, and the Logistics, IT and Communication Directorates respectively.
The task of the General Inspectorate is to plan, manage, coordinate and control the territorial inspectorates, the Mobile Squads, the Special Intervention Brigade and the military schools.
The General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie also acts as an interface of the organization with the other law enforcement agencies and the Internal Affairs Ministry.
Territorial organizations
The Romanian Gendarmerie is divided in 41 territorial inspectorates, corresponding to each county (''
județ
A ''județ'' (, plural ) is an administrative division in Romania, and was also used from 1940 to 1947 in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and from 1998 to 2003 in Moldova.
''Județ'' translates into English as "jurisdiction", but is co ...
''), and the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...
.
[''Organizarea Jandarmeriei'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
Additionally, eight Gendarmerie Mobile Groups (''Grupări Mobile'') operate on a territorial basis,
with headquarters in
Bacău,
Brașov
Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County.
According to the latest Romanian census ( 2011), Brașov has a po ...
,
Cluj Napoca,
Constanța
Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
,
Craiova,
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commun ...
,
Târgu Mureș
Târgu Mureș (, ; hu, Marosvásárhely ) is the seat of Mureș County in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania. It is the 16th largest Romanian city, with 134,290 inhabitants as of the 2011 census. It lies on the Mureș River, th ...
and
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
[''Structuri mobile'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
Special Intervention Brigade
The "
Vlad Țepeș" Special Intervention Brigade has national jurisdiction.
It handles special and high-risk situations, such as heavy rioting, hostage rescue and counter-terrorist operations.
[''Structuri antiteroriste'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
Gendarmerie military schools
The
officer cadets are trained for becoming commissioned officers at the ''
Alexandru Ioan Cuza''
Police Academy
A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or ot ...
in Bucharest.
In addition, the ''
Mihai Viteazul'' Military School in Bucharest offers post-graduate courses (in collaboration with the
French Gendarmerie) for commissioned officers, while the ''
Grigore Alexandru Ghica'' Military School in
Drăgășani and Petru Rareș Military School in Fălticeni train non-commissioned officers.
Combat Supply and Logistics Base
Also known as "Baza de Aprovizionare pentru Luptă și Gospodărire" (B.A.L.G.), "Baza de Administrare și Deservire" or "U.M. 0260" is a technical administrative unit under the command of General Inspectorate of the Gendarmerie. Its primary duties include administration of the buildings and other facilities inside the Inspectorate courtyard, the Gendarmerie's shooting range, vehicle repair and maintenance and farms providing food for the personnel of the Gendarmerie. The farms are located north of Bucharest.
List of commanders
The commanders of the Gendarmerie since its establishment in 1893:
Uniform
During the period up to 1915 the Romanian Gendarmerie wore a distinctive dress comprising a
shako with white plume, dark blue tunic with red facings, white trefoil
epaulettes and
aiguillettes plus light blue trousers with red stripes. Mounted units of the Gendarmerie wore a silver helmet with spike and white plume, a similar tunic to the foot branch but with yellow epaulettes and aiguillettes, white breeches and high boots.
Currently the Romanian gendarmes wear dark blue
berets/caps, shirts/T-shirts and trousers as everyday uniforms, while the
dress uniform
Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...
consists of a light blue tunic, white shirt, dark blue tie and dark blue trousers for the commissioned officers, and a dark blue tunic, white shirt and dark blue trousers for the NCO's and privates. The Honour Guard (''Garda de Onoare'') wears a light blue and black uniform of nineteenth century style with plumed
kepis, white fringed epaulettes and red facings.
Ranks and insignia
Unlike the Romanian Police, the Gendarmerie is a military body, and uses the same ranking system as the
Romanian Land Forces.
Flag Officers (OF 10 - 6) and Officers (5 - 1)
Other/Enlisted ranks (OR 1 - 9)
International affiliations
The Romanian Gendarmerie is a full member of the Association of the European and Mediterranean Police Forces and Gendarmeries with Military Status (
FIEP
The International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status, (commonly known as FIEP for France-Italia-España-Portugal, the first four members) is an association of national gendarmeries or military police forces.
Member ...
), along with the
National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police (France), National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the ...
, the
Italian Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
, the
Spanish Guardia Civil, the
Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana, the
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
Gendarmerie
Wrong info! -->
A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
, the
Moroccan Royal Gendarmerie and the
Dutch Royal Marechaussee.
After
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
's
accession to the European Union, the ''Jandarmeria'' sought to be accepted as permanent observer to the
European Gendarmerie Force, as a first step towards full membership. On 3 March 2009 the Romanian Gendarmerie became full member of the European Gendarmerie Force.
International missions
Since February 2002, 115 Romanian gendarmes have been deployed in
Peć
Peja (Indefinite Albanian form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipality and Peja District. It is situated in the region of Rugova on the eastern section of the Accursed Mounta ...
,
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
, as part of the
UNMIK
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...
police force.
[''Jandarmeria Română în Kosovo'']
, Romanian Gendarmerie website, accessed on 14 April 2007
See also
*
Law enforcement in Romania
References
External links
*
Official site
*
Romanian Gendarmerie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jandarmeria Romana
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
Romanian Gendarmerie
1893 establishments in Romania
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...