The National Police, formally known as the "Sûreté Nationale", is a uniformed police component based in Bangui and charged with enforcing civil public safety laws throughout major urban districts. As its title suggests, the National Police is organised on the national, rather than the local, level and operates under the control of a central "Direction des Services de Sûreté Nationale". Due to limited resources and manpower constraints, the police has been largely restricted to Bangui itself; outside the capital city its influence is mostly nominal. The outbreak of civil war in 2012 also frustrated the ability of the police to enforce the law in outlying settlements being threatened by heavily armed militias. Poor discipline and the frequent delay of salary payments has led to increased corruption within the National Police. According to the United Nations, the force has a low public approval rating due to well-publicized acts of corruption and its perceived inability to carry out its mandate, especially in the northeastern part of the country.