Gendarmery (Serbia)

The Gendarmery, in Serbian Žandarmerija (Serbian Cyrillic: Жандармерија), is an armed police force subordinate to Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Serbian gendarmery was established in 2001. A previous Serbian Gendarmery existed from 1860 until 1920. The Special Operations Unit (JSO) and Special Police Unit (PJP) were later attached to the gendarmery. The gendarmery's duties are both civilian and military, including securing the 'Ground Safety Zone'^[1] along the administrative line with Kosovo and providing disaster rescue teams (see below).^[2]

History

Serbian gendarmery officers, 1865

The word žandarmerija is a French loanword ("gendarmerie"), and is pronounced "Zhandarmeriya". The Žandarmerija corps date back to the Principality of Serbia, established on June 28, 1860, and originally consisted of 120 officers. It was disbanded after World War II and was restored in 2001 by the renaming of the so-called "Special Police Unit". This was accomplished by an act issued by the Minister of Interior Dušan Mihajlović. One of its major assignments was capturing the suspects in the assassination of prime minister Zoran Đinđić.

Duties

Gendarmery members

The Serbian Gendarmery consists of about 3,734 members.^[3] The principal bases are located in Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad and Kraljevo.

Its main duties are:

• Restoring peace and stability if they have been heavily disturbed
• Counter terrorism
• Countering violent groups
• Repressing riots in prisons

Its civil duties include: to provide security and public peace, to investigate and prevent organized crime, terrorism and other violent groups; to protect state and private property; to help and assist civilians and other emergency forces in a case of emergency, natural disaster, civil unrest and armed conflicts.

Žandarmerija, escort of prisoners

Its military duties include to provide, preserve and protect security and public peace, public order, to protect state and private property, to assist other security forces in case of emergency, civil unrest, war; to repress riots; to reinforce martial law and mobilization; to fight and apprehend suspected criminals, terrorists and other violent groups ;

Its additional duties are to perform any duties decreed in the decrees of law and regulations other than civil, military and other duties and the duties given by the governmental decrees based on them.

Commanders

• Goran Radosavljević (28 June 2001 – 17 August 2004)
• Borivoje Tešić (17 August 2004 – 23 June 2008)
• Srđan Grekulović (23 June 2008 – 3 June 2009) (acting)
• Bratislav Dikić (3 June 2009 – 17 July 2013)
• Milenko Božović (17 July 2013 – 12 March 2015) (acting to 2 August 2013)
• Goran Dragović (12 March 2015 – Present)

See also

• Gendarmerie
• Military police
• Law enforcement in Serbia

Gallery

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  Gendarmerie BOV M
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  Gendarmerie Lazar 2
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  Gendarmerie BOV
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  Gendarmerie BOV-3
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  Gendarmerie TAM 110
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  Gendarmerie TAM 110 Ris
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  Gendarmerie Land Rover Defender
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  Gendarmerie Peugeot Boxer 330

References

Sources

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gendarmerie (Serbia).

• Official Žandarmerija of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Short video about Žandarmerija