The Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (often abbreviated to CRS) are the riot control forces and general reserve of the French National Police.
In French, the whole force is correctly called les CRS (fem.pl.). In French slang, un CRS (masc.) may also mean "a CRS man". CRS vehicles and uniforms are recognizable by CRS logos.
The CRS were created in 1944 and reorganized in 1948. The task for which they are best known in popular culture is crowd and riot control and re-establishment of order. Their occasional abuse of force has led to recurring criticisms from demonstrators.
A famous slogan from the students revolts of May 1968 was "CRS = SS". More pleasantly, their initials could be subverted, for example in Car rempli de singes ("Coach full of monkeys").
The CRS and the gendarmes mobiles are often mistaken for each other (they have about the same missions). Ways to distinguish them are:
- the uniform of the CRS is blue, the gendarmes mobiles are clad in black;
- the CRS wear a big red CRS patch; the gendarmes have stylicized grenades.
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Last updated: 06-20-2005 13:20:36
