When acting as general purpose police force, the Gendarmerie encompasses the counter terrorist units of the Parachute Intervention Squadron of the National Gendarmerie (''Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale''), the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (''Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale''), the Search Sections of the National Gendarmerie (''Sections de Recherche de la Gendarmerie Nationale''), responsible for criminal enquiries, and the Mobile Brigades of the National Gendarmerie (''Brigades mobiles de la Gendarmerie Nationale'', or in short ''Gendarmerie mobile'') which have the task to maintain public order.