The Central African Gendarmerie is a military component charged with maintaining internal security throughout all rural districts outside major settlements and towns. It functions as the sole agency responsible for law enforcement in the Central African Republic's least developed regions and has operated both independently and under the auspices of the Central African Armed Forces throughout the country's history. The Gendarmerie is headed by a Director-General and consists of four battalions and three specialist commands. It is unusual in that it has a division responsible for investigating white collar crimes, which is normally a task assigned to civil police in most other countries. The size of the Gendarmerie has generally corresponded to the size of the National Police, fluctuating between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel.