The Royal Netherlands Marechausee
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1814 Ministry of attachment: Ministère de la Défense Workforce: 6 800 General manager: Lieutenant-général Address: Commandant Koninklijke Marechaussee Tél.: +31 70 441 40 00 Fax: +31 70 441 40 89 Website: www.defensie.nl/english/organisation/marechaussee Communication manager: Lieutenant-colonel Rick HIRS Address: Koningin Beatrixkazerne Tél.: +31 70 441 46 95 Email: H.vd.brink.01@mindef.nl 
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History
Organized in 1806, a gendarmerie is established officially in 1807 in the kingdom of Holland, State vassal of the Napoleonic Empire. October 26th, 1814, prince Guillaume (becoming king Guillaume the 1st next year) signs the decree of training of the royal Constabulary Corps. The term of "Constabulary" is preferred to that of "Gendarmerie" that has acquired a negative connotation within the local population of that period. The chosen emblem is the "grenade", as in France. The missions which are assigned to it are the same than today: "To maintain public law and order, to insure the execution of the laws and to make sure that borders are secured and watch over the main traffic lanes". Integral part of the army, constabulary constitutes the only police force in numerous small municipalities, in particular in the South of the Limburg and the North Brabant provinces. In 1908, Queen Wilhelmina assigns to this strength the security of her "Royal house". In 1914, the Constabulary participates in the mobilization of the Dutch army. In 1919, the "troops police corps" is created in order to facilitate the operations of demobilization.
The Act for the status of the military staffs, promulgated on December 19th, 1931, is still effective in the body. On July 5th, 1940, through the German occupant’s order, constabulary loses its royal qualification and its military status. Its staff is integrated into the unique authorized security force. However, approximately 200 members of Royal Constabulary follow the royal family and the Government with Dutch exile in order to insure their security. After Liberation in 1945, the Constabulary gets back to its pre-war status allowing it to perform civil and military missions. On July 3rd, 1956, while she is still only a princess, Beatrix is appointed "Patron of the Netherlands Royal Constabulary". In 1994, a revision of security services intervenes in order to give birth to the in force organization until December 31st, 2012, with the creation of the autonomous regions of the police Service National Agency (KLPD). The civil tasks of protection of airports were then transferred to the Constabulary. These last years, this strength was given new missions, in particular the number of the civil tasks (of police) that increased appreciably.
Organization
The authority exercised on the employment of Constabulary and its administration are distinct. The ministry of Defence insures the latter, because it is an armed forces member. The minister of Defence is thus responsible in the last resort for all the questions concerning the staff, the equipment and the budget. It is the competent authority, which determines the use of the Constabulary. Several ministries exercise this authority, according to the mission concerned, namely, the ministry of the Security and the Justice (that has control on the prosecution and the organization of the internal security forces and the Immigration State Secretariat), the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry of the Interior and of relations within the Kingdom.
Central Organization
The Royal Constabulary Headquarters is settled in The Hague in the Queen Beatrix’s barracks, inaugurated in 1998. It includes several directions.
Territorial organization
• 5 districts.
• 28 brigades.
Specialized Training
• The Intervention special section BSB: special unit used during fast and specialized interventions, being able to intervene in an autonomous way or together with other civil or military units.
• The Music of the Constabulary: the Corps of the Royal Constabulary trumpets is created on April 12th, 1959. It is a part-time orchestra/brass band composed of about 150 amateur musicians but of upper level, everyone being employees by the Constabulary and having the military status. The Corps of trumpets occurs approximately 75 times a year, both in the Netherlands and abroad.
• Riot-control Units and unit for support.
Missions
• Criminal Investigation Department: The Royal Constabulary is on an equal footing with police forces regarding judicial skills and competences related to the exercise of the police missions through the Police Act.
• Border Police: surveillance on the borders of the Netherlands and outside Europe (controls in harbours, airports and international stations), respect of the law on the foreigners, border deportation, identity and documentary fraud Centres of expertise (ECID).
• Protection of the civil aviation.
• Protection of the cash transportations: escorts made to the Bank of the Netherlands benefit. Mission of protection of this establishment permanent employees.
• Military police mission: Constabulary posts settled in barracks, naval bases and military harbours as well as certain units of the armies abroad. This mission has as well a repressive nature, as preventive and of support (military convoys escort, protection of storage places, Maintenance of Order during exercises, etc.).
• Royal House Protection.
• Support, assistance and collaboration to the civil police corps: maintenance of law and order (ME Riot-control platoons), screening of criminal facts, fighting against the human beings trafficking, narcotics trafficking, Criminal Investigation mission and large-scale traffic checks & control, support for the new autonomous territories regarding Criminal Investigation issues in the Dutch Caribbean since 2010, intervention of the BSB elite unit.
• International civil missions and of support of the peace.
• Ceremonial Services: guards of honour in dress uniforms during big events (In the daytime of the Queen, the opening ceremony of the parliamentary session by the Queen, the enthronement ceremonies of the new ambassadors, the official visits of Heads of state, Heads of government and/or high foreign dignitaries).
Staff
The Royal Constabulary counts 6 800 staffs. The administrative personnel has a civil status. The staff, which compose it are generally used within the framework of fixed-term contract or permanent contract. Others have the military status. The latter are distributed in the bodies of the officers and the non-commissioned officers
The women represent approximately 10% of staff in 2012. Regarding recruitment, the candidates for the various jobs of Constabulary have to fill the required prerequisites such the age, the Dutch nationality, the school level corresponding to the employment and the good morality, etc. The recruitment is then made on the basis of various aptitude tests (sports, written tests and oral interviews, etc.).
The training of the non-commissioned officers’ body consists of an initial instruction for the security guards (first rank in Constabulary) and "judicial police officers" with general competence (ending in the ranks of sergeant in mounted arms and sergeant). The sergeants in mounted arms are trained for all the tasks. Any formation begins with an army training and the whole program spreads out over 16 months.
The officers’ training is organized in association with the Dutch Defence Academy and the Police Academy. Various possibilities of career are offered according to the previous training as well as professional ‘footbridges’ exist between the Constabulary and the other Dutch army Corps.
Training institutions
The Constabulary has his own training centre: the Royal Constabulary Instruction and Expertise National Centre (LOKKMar), based to Apeldoorn. Besides the initial training, this centre also organizes all the specialized training. Very numerous, they include in particular the documentary specialists’ training, the training of the riot-control units and the support, the preliminary formations for any departure abroad within the peace missions framework, and the complete training for all the operational staff’s professional skills.
Within the framework of the given education and the distribution of its expertise, the LOKKMar collaborates frequently with the Dutch army other Corps of and some civil groups (private institutes of training and universities). It is particularly appreciated for its expertise with regard to documentary fraud.
Main equipment
• Armament: individual (Glock 17 [sometimes 26] - 9 mm), collective (Heckler, Koch HK416 and HK MP5 and on the foreign grounds Diemaco C7, C8 and FN303).
• Vehicles: Surveillance vehicles (Toyota HI-Lux) - Armoured vehicles (vans Mercedes Vito, vans VW Transporter Volvo V70 and other average vehicles and top of the range, heavy trucks/weight of intervention "Mobile incident room" - silk-screened motorcycles or not (Yamaha FJR 1300K) - Armoured vehicles (Mercedes-Bens Sprinter 315 dci, light silk-screened armoured cars YPR and YPR-765 Kmar for MB).
• Nautical means: - coastal patrol boats (RV 161/162/180 cv) - Semi-stiff boats speedboat (RHIB) 3x300 cv.
Cooperation
The Royal Constabulary is a member of the FIEP association having so allowed a strengthening of the bilateral cooperation with France (working meetings - visits).
This strength also participates in the Strength of European Gendarmerie Force (EuroGendFor), the strength of multinational cooperation as well as in the FEP (Police European Force).
The Royal Constabulary participates in Peace Missions in which the Dutch armed forces are requested to participate in such as in Afghanistan, in ex-Yugoslavia, CivPol missions … and missions of training abroad.
Finally, the Royal Constabulary plays a very active role in Police cooperation with its German neighbour (GTP Cross-border Police Team), which includes Bundespolizei, German and Dutch police forces and the Royal Constabulary.
© The iconography was provided by the concerned gendarmeries