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Four police forces operate in Barcelona, the Guardia Urbana (city police), the Mossos D’Esquadra (Catalonian police), the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil (both state police). All of them are armed. There are also the Policia Portuaria, who are limited to the ports.

The Guardia Urbana wear sky blue shirts and navy blue trousers. Though armed with batons they are generally quite sympathetic, primarily responsible for controlling traffic and keeping order on the streets. They drive white and fluorescent yellow vehicles.

The Mossos d’Esquadra also carry batons, they wear blue and red uniforms and berets. Their main function is to keep public order. The military Guardia Civil is less omnipresent, and is being faded out for the Mossos. Their uniform is green, topped with a black, three-cornered hat.

The Policía Nacional are predominantly an anti-crime force who wear blue combat gear. Plainclothes police are known as paisanos. Although Barcelona’s police can be helpful and approachable, be careful not to cross them; 144 cases of police brutality were recorded last year, the highest figure in Spain.

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