Editing Vatican City (section)

=== National and public security ===
{{Main|Military in Vatican City|Pontifical Swiss Guard|Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City|Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State}}
[[File:20160424 035 Roma - Città del Vaticano - Piazza San Pietro (26436304050).jpg|thumb|A guard of the Vatican at his sentry box]]

As Vatican City is an enclave within Italy, its military defence is provided by the [[Italian Armed Forces]]. There is no formal defence treaty with Italy, as Vatican City is a [[neutral state]]. Vatican City has no armed forces of its own, although the [[Swiss Guard]] is a military corps of the Holy See responsible for the personal security of the Pope, and residents in the state. Soldiers of the Swiss Guard are entitled to hold [[Vatican City State passport]]s and nationality.<ref name=geo/>

Swiss mercenaries were historically recruited by Popes as part of an army for the Papal States. The [[Pontifical Swiss Guard]] was founded by [[Pope Julius II]] on 22 January 1506 as the Pope's personal bodyguard and continues to fulfill that function. It is listed in the ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]'' under "Holy See", not under "State of Vatican City". In 2005, the Guard had 134 members. Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the Holy See and Switzerland.<ref name=geo/>

All recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males with Swiss citizenship who have completed their [[basic training]] with the [[Swiss Armed Forces]] with certificates of good conduct, be between the ages of 19 and 30, and be at least {{convert|174|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}} in height. Members are equipped with [[small arms]] and the traditional [[halberd]], and trained in bodyguarding tactics. Together with the [[Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City]], the [[Swiss Guard]] have roles in the Italy-Vatican [[border control]].<ref name=geo/> The [[Palatine Guard]] and the [[Noble Guard (Vatican)|Noble Guard]], the last armed forces of the Vatican City State, were disbanded by [[Pope Paul VI]] in 1970.<ref name="Vatican State">{{Cite web |title=Vatican City Today |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/History/Vatican_City_today.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211020340/https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/History/Vatican_City_today.htm |archive-date=11 December 2007 |access-date=28 November 2007 |publisher=Vatican City Government}}</ref>

As the entire territory of Vatican City has been listed on the International Register of Cultural Property under Special Protection and, in 1984, among [[World Heritage Site]]s, the [[Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict]] provides international legal protection against [[war|armed conflicts]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duursma |first=Jorri C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CgVDprXjkIYC&pg=PA396 |title=Fragmentation and the International Relations of Micro-states: Self-determination and Statehood |date=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-56360-4 |page=396 |access-date=9 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414053158/https://books.google.com/books?id=CgVDprXjkIYC&pg=PA396 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=3 July 2018 |title=Extraterritorialità |trans-title=Extraterritoriality |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/stato-governo/note-generali/etraterritorialita.html |access-date=23 May 2024 |website=vaticanstate.va |publisher=Vatican City Directorate of Telecommunications and Computer Services |language=it}}</ref> A large part of the [[historical document]]s of the very extensive [[Vatican Apostolic Archive]] is stored in the "Bunker", which was inaugurated in 1980, a two-storey reinforced concrete vault, under the [[Cortile della Pigna]], equipped with systems for [[fire protection]], [[Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning|climate and humidity control]], and [[physical security]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bunker and storerooms |url=https://www.archivioapostolicovaticano.va/content/aav/en/l-archivio/ambienti/bunker-e-depositi.html |access-date=24 May 2024 |publisher=Vatican Apostolic Archive}}</ref>

[[File:Vaticano - Smart elettrica Gendarmeria 20231230.jpg|thumb|A [[Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City|Vatican gendarmerie]] car]]

Civil defence is the responsibility of the [[Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State]], the national [[fire brigade]]. Dating its origins to the early nineteenth century, the Corps in its present form was established in 1941. It is responsible for fire fighting, and civil defence scenarios including flooding, natural disasters, and [[mass casualty incident]]s. The Corps is governmentally supervised through the Directorate for Security Services and Civil Defence, which is also responsible for the Gendarmerie (see below).

The [[Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City|Gendarmerie Corps]] (''Corpo della Gendarmeria'') is the [[gendarmerie]], or police and security force, of Vatican City and the [[extraterritorial properties of the Holy See]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Corpo della Gendarmeria |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/IT/Servizi/Direzione_SdS_VVFF/corpo_della_gendarmeria.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225094441/https://www.vaticanstate.va/IT/Servizi/Direzione_SdS_VVFF/corpo_della_gendarmeria.htm |archive-date=25 December 2012 |access-date=15 January 2013 |publisher=Stato della Città del Vaticano |language=it}}</ref> The corps is responsible for security, [[Public-order crime|public order]], [[border control]], [[road traffic control|traffic control]], [[criminal procedure|criminal investigation]], and other general police duties in Vatican City including providing security for the pope outside Vatican City. The corps has 130 personnel and is a part of the Directorate for Security Services and Civil Defence (which also includes the Vatican Fire Brigade), an organ of the Governorate of Vatican City.<ref name="Gendarme">{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Gendarme Corps |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/Structure_Governorate/Gendarme_Corps.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023001945/https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/Structure_Governorate/Gendarme_Corps.htm |archive-date=23 October 2007 |access-date=15 October 2007 |publisher=Office of the President of Vatican City State}}</ref><ref name="Administrations">{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Administrations and Central Offices |url=https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/Structure_Governorate/Administrations_and_Central_Offices.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023001914/https://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/Structure_Governorate/Administrations_and_Central_Offices.htm |archive-date=23 October 2007 |access-date=15 October 2007 |publisher=Office of the President of Vatican City State}}</ref>

Even though [[St. Peter's Square|St Peter's Square]] is part of Vatican territory, it is normally safeguarded by [[Law enforcement in Italy|Italian police forces]].<ref name=geo/>

==== Crime ====
{{Main|Crime in Vatican City}}
[[File:Crowds in St. Peter's Square.jpg|thumb|The crowds of tourists in [[St. Peter's Square]] are a target for pickpockets.]]

Crime in Vatican City consists largely of purse snatching, [[pickpocketing]] and [[shoplifting]] by outsiders.<ref name="crime rate">{{Cite news |date=8 January 2003 |title=Vatican crime rate 'soars' |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2639777.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108222354/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2639777.stm |archive-date=8 January 2008 |access-date=28 November 2007 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> The tourist foot-traffic in [[St. Peter's Square|St Peter's Square]] is one of the main locations for pickpockets in Vatican City.<ref>{{Citation |title=Vatican surpasses all nations... in pickpockets? |date=14 February 2011 |work=Rome Reports |url=https://www.romereports.com/palio/vatican-surpasses-all-nations-in-pickpockets-english-3545.html#.UPt_Wc0hclk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115144215/https://www.romereports.com/palio/Vatican-surpasses-all-nations-in-pickpockets-english-3545.html |archive-date=15 November 2012}}</ref> If crimes are committed in the square, the perpetrators may be arrested and tried by the Italian authorities, since that area is normally patrolled by Italian police.<ref>Glatz, Carol (19 December 2013) [https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2013/man-seriously-injured-after-setting-self-on-fire-in-st-peter-s-square.cfm "Man seriously injured after setting self on fire in St. Peter's Square"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621003837/https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2013/man-seriously-injured-after-setting-self-on-fire-in-st-peter-s-square.cfm |date=21 June 2019 }}. ''Catholic News Service''</ref>

Under the Lateran Treaty,<ref name=Statute/> Italy will, at the request of the Holy See, punish individuals for crimes committed within the Vatican City and will itself proceed against the person who committed the offence, if that person takes refuge in Italian territory. Persons accused of crimes recognized as such both in Italy and in Vatican City that are committed in Italian territory will be handed over to the Italian authorities if they take refuge in the Vatican City or in buildings that enjoy immunity under the treaty.<ref name=Statute/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shea |first=Alison |date=2009 |title=Researching the Law of the Vatican City State |url=https://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/vatican1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017130729/https://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Vatican1.htm |archive-date=17 October 2013 |website=Hauser Global Law School Program |publisher=[[New York University School of Law]]}}</ref>

The Vatican City has no prison system, apart from a few detention cells for pre-trial detention.<ref>{{Citation |title=How Does Vatican City Deal With Criminals? |date=30 May 2012 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url=https://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/05/paolo_gabriele_case_how_does_the_vatican_deal_with_criminals_.html |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824035613/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/05/paolo_gabriele_case_how_does_the_vatican_deal_with_criminals_.html |archive-date=24 August 2018}}</ref> People convicted of committing crimes in the Vatican serve terms in Italian prisons ([[Polizia Penitenziaria]]), with costs covered by the Vatican.<ref>"[https://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,460967,00.html Is the Vatican a Rogue State?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406122805/http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,460967,00.html |date=6 April 2012 }}" ''[[Spiegel Online]]''. 19 January 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2010.</ref>