Editing Public Force of Costa Rica (section)

==History==
[[File:Museo Nacional CR 2.JPG|thumb|Cuartel Bellavista, today Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.]]

On 1 December 1948, the [[President of Costa Rica]], [[José Figueres Ferrer]], abolished the Costa Rican military after his victory in the [[Costa Rican Civil War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elespiritudel48.org/docu/h013.htm|author=El Espíritu del 48|title=Abolición del Ejército|access-date=2008-03-09}} (Spanish)</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Booth|first=John A.|date=2021-02-23|title=Costa Rica: Demilitarization and Democratization|url=https://oxfordre.com/politics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-1888|access-date=2021-02-27|website=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics|language=en|doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1888|isbn=9780190228637}}</ref>
In a ceremony at the national capital of [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]], Figueres symbolically broke a wall with a [[mallet]], symbolizing an end to the military's existence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nacion.com/el-pais/patrimonio/historia-militar-de-costa-rica-revive-con-los-100-anos-del-cuartel-bellavista/RUBEBERUT5EMNLNNCCPPKVBIWI/story/|title=Historia militar de Costa Rica revive con los 100 años del Cuartel Bellavista|work=La Nación, Grupo Nación|access-date=2018-09-04|language=es-LA}}</ref> In 1949, the abolition of the Costa Rican military was introduced in [[Article 12 of the Constitution of Costa Rica]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1553931/air-advisors-conduct-first-ever-bpc-mission-in-costa-rica/|title=Air Advisors conduct first-ever BPC mission in Costa Rica|work=U.S. Air Force|access-date=2018-09-04|language=en-US}}</ref> The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to security, education and culture. Costa Rica maintains Police Guard forces. The museum {{lang|es|[[Museo Nacional de Costa Rica]]}} was placed in the {{lang|es|Cuartel Bellavista}} as a symbol of commitment to culture. In 1986, President [[Oscar Arias Sánchez]] declared December 1 as the {{lang|es|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 {{lang|es|Fuerza Pública}} or Public Force, a [[gendarmerie]] which reorganised and eliminated the [[Costa Rican Civil Guard|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas|url=https://www.seguridadpublica.go.cr/direccion/guardacostas/index.aspx|website=Ministerio de Seguridad Pública Costa Rica|access-date=25 May 2020|language=es|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804060657/https://www.seguridadpublica.go.cr/direccion/guardacostas/index.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Outside the Fuerza Pública, there is a small [[Special Forces]] Unit, the [[Special Intervention Unit (Costa Rica)|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]].