Calling All Cars: Siemens And General Dynamics Itronix Create Data Collection System For Crime Scenes

In France today, the Gendarmerie Nationale, a body under the authority of the French Ministry of Defence, is charged with policing duties among some 33 million civilians who fall outside the remit of the French National Police, the Sûreté Nationale.

The Gendarmerie's 100,000 officers deliver broad public security and safety roles. Their tasks include the policing of countryside areas, small towns, criminal investigations under judiciary supervision, crowd control, security activities at all airports and military installations, as well as all investigations relating to the military.

They draw upon specialised research units for the conduct of complex crime scene investigation, surveillance units, counter-terrorism, and counter-narcotics, highway patrol, mountain and sea search and rescue. The Gendarmerie is responsible for naval and air transport security including naval bases, civilian airports and maritime patrol.

Flexibility in all duties is therefore a core facet of the Gendarmerie Nationale, and this necessity extends to the communications technology and data access deployed by its officers in their many and varied daily roles.