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A ''garde champêtre'' (french: lit. rural guard) is the combination of a forest ranger,
Their uniforms are not regulated and are at the mayor's discretion; they are traditionally green. The only compulsory element of their dress is a metal badge or cloth patch bearing the words: "LA LOI" (the law), the name of the commune and that of the ''garde champêtre''. They cannot legally wear the dress attributed to the ''police municipale'' ( navy blue with a light blue trimming).
Website of the federation of French gardes champêtres
Law enforcement agencies of France {{Europe-law-stub
A ''garde champêtre'' (french: lit. rural guard) is the combination of a forest ranger, game warden
A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician or technologist, game warden, forest ranger, forest watcher, forest gu ...
and code enforcement officer in certain rural communes in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Organization
Their job is to report to the localmayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
. Many of these officers carry firearms (they commonly face poachers, many of whom are themselves armed) and other weapons. Mayors decide which weapons to provide them with, but ''gardes champêtres'' can purchase, retain and carry a much wider range of weapons than the urban police (''police municipale)'' are allowed. They are not under the supervision of 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, ...
but under the mayor's, their employer.
History and future development
From 1791 to 1958 it was compulsory for each rural commune to employ a ''garde champêtre''. Since then many formerly rural communes are heavily or totally urbanised and the number in post has been shrinking every year. A draft law in 2014, provided for the integration of the remaining ''gardes champêtres'' with the ''police municipale'' and the highway control officers (''agents de surveillance de la voie publique'') into a new ''police territoriale''.Uniforms and rank insignia
Their uniforms are not regulated and are at the mayor's discretion; they are traditionally green. The only compulsory element of their dress is a metal badge or cloth patch bearing the words: "LA LOI" (the law), the name of the commune and that of the ''garde champêtre''. They cannot legally wear the dress attributed to the ''police municipale'' ( navy blue with a light blue trimming).
See also
*Council ranger
Council rangers are officers employed by local government areas in Australia to enforce the by-laws of those local governments and a limited range of state laws relating to such matters as litter control, animal control, dog laws, cat laws, bush ...
References
External links
Website of the federation of French gardes champêtres
Law enforcement agencies of France {{Europe-law-stub