Costa Rica

摘要

Once the Costa Rican government abolished the national armed forces in 1948, internal security, border patrol, and most national police functions became the responsibility of the small paramilitary Civil Guard. The president is the commander in chief, exercising his authority through what was the Ministerio de Seguridad Pública (Ministry of Public Security) and is now officially the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, although the old name is still often used. There are two vice ministers for security in the ministry, with the security forces themselves directly run by a uniformed comisario, whose official title is Director General Fuerza Pública.In 1996 the Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard, and Frontier Guard were combined into the Ministry of Public Security Force. The combined force was later reorganized into separate geographic commands, each performing ground security, law enforcement, counternarcotics, and national security (border patrol) functions. The security forces serve in seven provinces.