''For other bodies called Gendarmerie, see Gendarmerie (disambiguation).'' ''For the concept, see

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 gendarmerie are the uniformed branch of the

cantonal police The cantonal police (french: Police cantonale, german: Kantonspolizei, it, Polizia cantonale, rm, Polizia chantunala) are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a respon ...

of the French-speaking

cantons of Switzerland The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swis ...

, and their members are not soldiers but civilians. The first bodies of Swiss gendarmes have their origins in the foot gendarmes that served

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

during his stay in Switzerland, while this country was occupied by the French, Currently, police authority is exercised by individual cantons, which are like Sovereign states. The cantonal police force is generally subdivided in two bodies: * the gendarmerie, the uniformed organization in which performs the tasks of police patrol and response, and may conduct judicial enquiries. * the

sûreté (; , but usually translated as afety" or "security)"Security" in French is ''sécurité''. The ''sûreté'' was originally called ''Brigade de Sûreté'' ("Surety Brigade"). is, in many French-speaking countries or regions, the organizational ...

, civil investigators who work in the

Criminal Investigation Department The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...

(average and serious crime) However, in certain cantons, the gendarmes have the ability to conduct local or judicial enquiries.

See also