Bulgarian Gendarmerie
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1881 Ministry of attachment: Ministère de l’Intérieur Workforce: 3 628 General manager: Commissaire en chef Krasimir DOBREV Address: Direction Gendarmerie Tél.: +359 2 9826725 Website: www.mvr.bg/ 
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History
The Bulgarian Gendarmerie was created immediately after the 1877-1878 Russian-Turkish war. The transformation of the "Police Guard" in "Gendarmerie" dates from a decree of July 26th, 1881 signed by the Kniaz (prince) Alexander 1rst of Battenberg, by which is confirmed the "Gendarmerie statutory status". This decree sets up a relatively independent armed force, destined to insure the legitimacy and the internal security in the kingdom of Bulgaria.
Dissolved, restored, renamed, the Bulgarian gendarmerie was restructured many times and again, but it nevertheless preserved its essence and its relevance. During the 1881-1882 period, the service existed under the name of "Gendarmerie"; then, from 1882 till 1883, under the name of "Regiment Dragon". By a decree of September 17th, 1883, the regiment is dissolved and transformed into "Police guard". In 1920, the naming "Gendarmerie" is restored and the Institution is defined as an armed force with a military organization and discipline, made up of 8 companies for chasing and arresting criminals and people disturbing the order, the tranquillity and the public security and laws and orders in the country. On December 20th, 1927, the gendarmerie units are restructured and transformed into infantry regiments and pass under the war ministry subordination.
In 1944, the service is again called "Gendarmerie". Then, in 1951, a service similar to the gendarmerie is created within the Ministry of the Interior, baptized "Troops of interior", and composed of ten units; this service is dissolved in 1961, then recreated on January 29th, 1985, as Ministry of Interior specialized intervention unit. The law of 1991 on the functioning of the Ministry of the Interior sets up then the service called "Army of Interior" (Or "Force of Interior") beside other central services of the ministry. Its functioning is based on the Bulgarian army regulation and some others normative acts, but it is situated within the Ministry of the Interior.
The law on the functioning of the Ministry of the Interior of December 19th, 1997 restored once again the naming "Gendarmerie", defined as a Specialized Police central service. Between 1998 and 2006, the missions of this service are directed and concentrated on the surveillance and the protection of particularly important strategic targets, the support for the fight against terrorist and subversive groups, as well as the law and order protection and in combatting the crime.
From May 1st, 2006, the Bulgarian gendarmerie is incorporated within the National Police Force central service, of which it constitutes one of the directions, and sees recognizing missions and specific powers all over the territory of the country. Renamed "specialized Police Force" in 2010, this service becomes again the "Gendarmerie Direction" on July 22nd, 2014.
Organization
The "Gendarmerie Direction" is a specialized structure of the National police force Direction.
Central Organization
It is organized in the following way:
• a direction (director and two deputies directors);
• a department "Law and Order Department and policing of public places":
- a section guarding of strategic establishments and diplomatic representations,
- a section of law and order and major events;
• a department "Banking institution surveillance" Department:
- a section patrols,
- a section territorial services;
• a department "Surveillance of ministerial and institutional sites":
- a section guarding central structures,
- a section guarding of the Ministry of the Interior establishments;
• a department "rail transportation Security";
• a department "Specialized operations and specialized training":
- a section specialized operations,
- a section training,
- a logistic section,
- a section "Information, coordination and analysis",
- a section "Operational Permanence Centre";
• eight zonal directions of gendarmerie.
Departments, independent sections and zonal directions of gendarmerie are directly managed by the director of the gendarmerie.
Territorial organization
Eight zonal directions of gendarmerie in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna, Kardzhali, Montana, Pleven and Gorna Oryahovitsa.
Specialized Training
Nothingness.
Missions
The Bulgarian gendarmerie does not perform any military police mission, Criminal Investigation or traffic police. The Direction of "Gendarmerie" is a specialized structure in charge of the following areas of administrative police:
• the maintenance of law and order;
• the surveillance of major events;
• the management of the important demonstrations;
• the fight against terrorism;
• the guarding/protection of strategic sites, diplomatic representations, etc.;
• the law and order in the railroad transportation and around railroad infrastructures.
Staff
The staff on December 31st, 2014 was 1.814 people, 207 state employees with superior formation/training (officers), 1.522 state employees with secondary formation and 85 civil and technical servants. The recruitment in the Bulgarian gendarmerie is made by means of a general competitive examination of the Ministry of the Interior Academy. The feminine recruitment dates from 2000. The staff who has police officer’s status, does not live in barracks. There is no conscript of the contingent.
Main equipment
Armament: pistols, Makarov, submachine guns and Kalashnikov AKS-74U.
Vehicles: light vehicles, standard minibus or off-road minibus, standard trucks or off-road trucks, VBRG. The vehicles carry the mention "Жандармерия" or "GENDARMERIE".
© The iconography was provided by the concerned gendarmeries