Chilean Gendarmerie

The Chilean Gendarmerie Gendarmería de Chile
Abbreviation	GENCHI
Logo of the The Chilean Gendarmerie.
Motto	Labor Omnia Vincit. Deus Patria Lex
	Work conquers everything. God, Country, Law
Agency overview
Formed	November 30, 1929
Preceding agency	Cuerpo de Gendarmería de Prisiones
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
National agency (Operations jurisdiction)	Chile
Legal jurisdiction	As per operations jurisdiction.
General nature	Law enforcement Gendarmerie
Operational structure
Overviewed by	Dirección Nacional
Headquarters	Santiago de Chile
Agency executive	Luis Masferrer Farías, Director Nacional
Website
http://www.gendarmeria.cl

The Chilean Gendarmerie, in Spanish Gendarmería de Chile, (abbreviated to GENCHI) is the title of Chile's uniformed national prison service. The title is historic, and the service is not an actual gendarmerie.^[1] The service evolved out of Chilean Army units which were given police and prison duties.

It is an armed service responsible to the Ministry of Justice. It has two mottoes, "Labor Omnia Vincit" ("Work conquers everything"), and "Deus Patria Lex" (God, Country, Law). Its symbol is a castle.

The service is currently led by Director General of the Gendarmerie Luis Masferrer Farías, a lawyer appointed to this role by the Chilean president in 2010.

Early History

Chilean Army units were used for policing and guarding prisons from the time of Chile's independence. Chile's first "professional" prison was built in Santiago in 1843. In 1871 the "Special Guard" was created (Guardia Especial) which was Chile's first prison service separate from the army.

In 1892, under the government of Admiral Jorge Montt, the service was called "Special Guards of the Prisons of Chile" (Guardias Especiales de las Prisiones de Chile) and was responsible for prisons, executions, and prisoner transport.

Modern History

In 1911, under the government of Ramón Barros Luco, the Special Guards experienced some reforms and the title "Prison Gendarmerie Corps" was adopted (Cuerpo de Gendarmería de Prisiones). It had the additional duty of guarding prisoners in court. The vast majority of members of this new service were seconded from the Army. A law was passed in 1921, Law N° 3.815, concerning the organization of the service. (From 1930 until today November 30 is considered to be the anniversary of the Gendarmerie.)

A Prison Gendarmerie School was established in 1928 to train personnel.

From 1929 until 1931, the service was part of the Carabiniers of Chile, the national Gendarmerie proper. During this time, it was known within the carabiniers as the Prison Service, and its members were "Prison Carabiniers". From 1931, the title "Prison Service" was used.

In 1944 an academy was founded, called the Penitentiary School of Chile, which in 1954 became the Technical School of Prison Security Services.

During the government of General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, the current title of "Gendarmería de Chile" was adopted, and a new grey-green uniform was adopted which was inspired by German army uniforms of World War II.

Organization

The Chilean Gendarmerie is a service which is influenced by and actively maintains its historic links with the Chilean army. As a result it is an armed uniformed service of a para-military character, and it is organized on a para-military basis using army ranks (for example corporals, sergeants, warrant officers, lieutenants, captains, majors, and colonels). However the rank of Director General can be filled by either a veteran officer of the force or a civilian, in either case under the appoinment and confidence of the President.

Ranks of the Gendarmerie

Gendarmes of the ranks (Enlisted and NCOs)

• Gendarme Alumno - Student/Recruit Gendarme
• Gendarme - Graduate Gendarme/Private (E2)
• Gendarme Segundo - Gendarme 2nd Class/Private (rank)
• Gendarme Primero - Gendarme 1st Class/Private 1st Class
• Cabo - Lance Corporal
• Cabo Segundo - Corporal
• Cabo Primero - Lance Sergeant
• Sargento Segundo - Sergeant
• Sargento Primero - Staff Sergeant
• Suboficial - Sub-officer, Warrant Officer
• Suboficial Mayor - Sub-officer Major, Chief Warrant Officer

Officer ranks
All future officers study at the Gendarmerie Academy "Pres. Gen. Manuel Bulnes Prieto" in Santiago and upon graduation are commissioned as Sublieutenants.

• Aspirante a Oficial - Officer Cadet
• Subteniente - Sublieutenant
• Teniente Segundo - Second Lieutenant
• Teniente Primero - First Lieutenant
• Capitan - Captain (land and air)
• Mayor - Major
• Teniente Coronel - Lieutenant Colonel
• Coronel - Colonel
• Subdirector Operativo - Operations Vice-director
• Director General - Director General

1. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as "gendarmes as a body"

External links

• Official website