Law enforcement in the Central African Republic is primarily vested in the country's National Police (also known as the Sûreté Nationale), a uniformed civilian branch oriented almost solely towards law enforcement in urban districts, and the paramilitary Central African Gendarmerie.[1] A third department, the Police judiciaire, is the criminal investigation division of the National Police but has become increasingly independent and is widely considered a separate branch in its own right.[1]
The size of the National Police has generally remained consistent at between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel for several decades since the collapse of the Central African Empire.[2] In 2009 there were 1,350 police officers in the country.[3]