Proposal:Key:police:branch
| Key:police:branch | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Draft (under way) |
| Proposed by: | Joost schouppe |
| Tagging: | police:branch=*
|
| Applies to: |  /  /  / 
|
| Definition: | Police branch operating this feature. Usually based on the government level that operates the police, but may include other essential differentiation in the type of organization that manages this police object. |
| Statistics: |
|
| Draft started: | 2026-07-24 |
| RFC start: | 2026-07-24 |
Proposal
Police forces around the world are structured in many different ways. This tag proposes to use common values as much as possible. Where local realities differ too much to be integrated in this model, a further subtag should be used. Usually, the related Proposal:Key:police:specialization should be able to do that. The tag tries to reflect the highest level at which the police forces are organized, which usually means which government level organizes them.
Definition
Police branch operating this feature. Usually based on the government level that operates the police, but may include other essential differentiation in the type of organization that manages this police object.
Rationale
Currently, there are no global standards for tagging this, while the French police:FR=* and Belgian use of ad hoc police:type=* clearly shows the need for this kind of classification.
These police institutions serve very different needs for the public, and the differentiation is important for other data users too.
Tagging
| Key | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
police:branch=*
|
gendarmerie
|
A military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. Common in Europe, former Soviet countries and some countries colonized by France. This is not the same as a military police, which are parts of the military that police within their own rank, and hence could be mapped as a subtype of military organizations, not police organizations. |
police:branch=*
|
national_police
|
Police forces operated by national government |
police:branch=*
|
regional_police
|
Police operated by an admin level between the nation and the municipality, for example state police in the US or the Catalan Mossos d’ Esquadra. |
police:branch=*
|
local_police
|
Police that is operated at the municipal, city or local level. This can include police zones that are operated by a group of municipalities. |
police:branch=*
|
street_warden
|
Street wardens assist with police duties at the local level, without actually belonging to the police force and with limited authority (usually fines for small infractions only). This includes the tasks of traffic wardens, but also broader activities like enforcing local regulations related to nuisance behavior. |
Features/Pages affected
police=*
police:FR=*
amenity=police
External discussions
- The proposal includes feedback from previous discussion at https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/tagging-police-force-details/
- [RFC] in the community forum: https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/rfc-police-branch-police-specialization/145742
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page.