Public Force of Costa Rica explained

Agencyname:	Public Force of Costa Rica
Nativename:	Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Pública de Costa Rica
Formedyear:	1996
Country:	Costa Rica
Police:	yes
Gendarmerie:	yes
Speciality1:	border
Speciality2:	paramilitary
Parentagency:	Ministry of Public Security
Child1agency:	Air Vigilance Service
Anniversary1:	1 December (Army Abolition Day)

The Public Force of Costa Rica (Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Pública de Costa Rica) is the national law enforcement agency of Costa Rica, whose duties include internal security and border control.^[1]

History

On 1 December 1948, the President of Costa Rica, José Figueres Ferrer, abolished the Costa Rican military after winning the Costa Rican Civil War.^{[2] [3]} In a ceremony at the national capital of San José, Figueres symbolically broke a wall with a mallet, symbolizing an end to the military's existence.^[4] In 1949, the abolition of the Costa Rican military was introduced in Article 12 of the Constitution of Costa Rica.^[5] The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to security, education and culture. Costa Rica maintains Police Guard forces. The museum Spanish; Castilian: [[Museo Nacional de Costa Rica]] was placed in the Spanish; Castilian: Cuartel Bellavista as a symbol of commitment to culture. In 1986, President Oscar Arias Sánchez declared December 1 as the Spanish; Castilian: Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Military abolition day) with Law #8115. Unlike its neighbors, Costa Rica has not endured a civil war since 1948. Costa Rica maintains small forces capable of law enforcement, but has no permanent standing army.

Public Force of the Ministry of Public Security (1996)

In 1996, the Ministry of Public Security established the Spanish; Castilian: Fuerza Pública or Public Force, a gendarmerie which reorganised and eliminated the Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard, and Frontier Guards as separate entities. They are now under the Ministry and operate on a geographic command basis performing ground security, law enforcement, counter-narcotics, border patrol, and tourism security functions. The Costa Rica Coast Guard also operates directly under the Ministry but is not a part of the Public Force proper.^[6]

Outside the Fuerza Pública, there is a small Special Forces Unit, the Unidad Especial de Intervencion (UEI) or Special Intervention Unit, an elite commando force which trains with special forces from around the world, but is not part of the main police forces. Instead, it is part of the Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) which reports directly to the Minister of the Presidency. About 70-member strong, it is organized along military lines, although officially it is a civilian police unit.

The motto of the Public Force is "God, Fatherland, and Honour." Commissioner of Police Juan José Andrade Morales serves as its current Commissioner General.

Ranks

• Spanish; Castilian: Comisario de Policía/ Director general de la Fuerza Pública
• Spanish; Castilian: Comisionado de Policía
• Spanish; Castilian: Comandante de Policía
• Spanish; Castilian: Capitán de Policía
• Spanish; Castilian: Intendente
• Spanish; Castilian: Sub Intendente
• Spanish; Castilian: Sargento de Policía
• Spanish; Castilian: Inspector
• Spanish; Castilian: Agente 2
• Spanish; Castilian: Agente 1

Equipment

Small arms

width=16%	Name	width=10%	Image	width=15%	Caliber	width=12%	Type	width=10%	Origin	width=28%	Notes
Pistols
IWI Jericho 941^[7]		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol
Beretta 92		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol
Beretta M9		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol
SIG Sauer P226		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol
M1911^[8] ^[9]		.45 ACP	Semi-automatic pistol	United States
Smith & Wesson Model 10^[10]		.38 Special	Revolver	United States
Sub-machine guns
Heckler & Koch MP5		9×19mm	Submachine gun
Uzi^[11]		9×19mm	Submachine gun
MAB-38		9×19mm	Submachine gun
Beretta M12		9×19mm	Submachine gun
Rifles
M14		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle
FN FAL^[12]		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle
SIG SG 556		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle
IMI Galil		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle
IWI Tavor		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle
Steyr AUG		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle
T65^[13]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle
M16		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle
M4		5.56×45mm	Carbine Assault rifle
Sniper rifles
Remington M700		.308 Winchester	Sniper rifle
M24 SWS		7.62×51mm	Sniper rifle
SVD		7.62×54mmR	Designated marksman rifle Sniper rifle
Machine guns
Browning M1918^[14]				Light machine gun
Browning M1919				Medium machine gun
M60			General-purpose machine gun
IWI Negev^[15]			Light machine gun
Grenade launchers
M79^[16]		40×46mm	Grenade launcher

See also

• List of countries without armed forces
• Special Intervention Unit (Costa Rica)

External links

• Fuerza Pública de Costa Rica.
• Ministerio de Seguridad Pública.
• El Espíritu del 48: Abolición del Ejército A brief history of the abolition of the military in Costa Rica.
• Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories

Notes and References

1. Web site: Costa Rica 1949 (rev. 2011). Constitute. 28 April 2015.
2. Web site: Abolición del Ejército. El Espíritu del 48. 2008-03-09. (Spanish)
3. Web site: Booth. John A.. 2021-02-23. Costa Rica: Demilitarization and Democratization. 2021-02-27. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. en. 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1888. 9780190228637.
4. News: Historia militar de Costa Rica revive con los 100 años del Cuartel Bellavista. La Nación, Grupo Nación. 2018-09-04. es-LA.
5. News: Air Advisors conduct first-ever BPC mission in Costa Rica. U.S. Air Force. 2018-09-04. en-US.
6. Web site: Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas. Ministerio de Seguridad Pública Costa Rica. 25 May 2020. es. 4 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200804060657/https://www.seguridadpublica.go.cr/direccion/guardacostas/index.aspx. dead.
7. Book: Central America Report. 24. 1997. Inforpress Centroamericana. 33.
8. Book: Hogg, Ian . Jane's Infantry Weapons 1989–90, 15th Edition . . 1989 . 978-0-7106-0889-5 . 826–836.
9. Web site: Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories . . November 30, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121022110744/http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/lainven.html . October 22, 2012 . live . Citing Book: Terry J. . Gander . Ian V. . Hogg . Ian V. Hogg . Jane's Infantry Weapons, 1995–1996 . 1995 . Jane's Information Group . 21st . 9780710612410 . 32569399.
10. Book: Supica. Jim. Nahas. Richard. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. 2007. F+W Media, Inc. Iola, Wisconsin. 978-0-89689-293-4. 141–143, 174, 210–211.
11. Web site: MP UZI. SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification. Bonn International Center for Conversion. Bonn International Center for Conversion. Bundeswehr Verification Center. 31 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180831035754/https://salw-guide.bicc.de/en/weapon/view/20. 31 August 2018. live.
12. Book: Gander, Jerry. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002–2003 . Jane's Information Group. 2002. 0-7106-2434-4 . 214, 899–906.
13. Web site: Customers / Weapon users . Colt Defense Weapon Systems . https://web.archive.org/web/20110902033712/http://www.colt.com/mil/customers.asp . 2 September 2011.
14. Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V. Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996. Jane's Information Group; 21 edition (May 1995). .
15. Web site: Lightweight Firepower . Kemp, Ian . March 2007 . Asianmilitaryreview.com - Asian Military Review . 2010-04-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707175117/http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/upload/200712032006011.pdf . 7 July 2011 . dmy-all .
16. Book: Jones, Richard . Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009-2010 . Jane's Information Group . 2009 . 978-0-7106-2869-5 . 894–905.