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The Police nationale, known in english as the National Police, formerly known as the Sûreté nationale, is one of two national police forces of France, the other being the National Gendarmerie. Officers of the National Police are civilian state employees (fonctionnaires). They follow standard labor laws and have the right to strike (though restricted under specific conditions).The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns.
By contrast, the National Gendarmerie is technically a part of the military. It has primary jurisdiction in smaller towns, as well as in rural and border areas. The National Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior and has about 145,200 employees (as of 2015). Young French citizens can fulfill their optional national service (Service national universel) in the national police force.
The National Police maintain a police tactical unit known as raid (unit).
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