Publication

This paper talks about the evolution of gendarmerie-type forces - police forces with a military status - between 1980 and 2013. It examines their institutional features and functions and uses case studies from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to illustrate these characteristics in different contexts. The author argues that the overall development of gendarmeries has been somewhat paradoxical. This is because while most of these forces have expanded and taken on a more prominent role in security challenges, there has also been a trend to demilitarize them and integrate them into the civilian police.