The Carabinieri

I have started this year a tradition of blogging about police, army or secret service forces around the world, just for kick. Last time I did was in March, so I thought that I should do it again, if I want to make it a real tradition. So today, just for fun, let's talk about the Carabinieri. I went to Italy once, but it is one of the elements of the country that struck me: the distintive look of the Carabinieri, or rather their uniform. Even their ordinary uniform is kind of distinctive, unusually elegant. But what truly sets them apart is that they are both a police force and an army force (although separate from the army, from what I understand). They are (again, from what I understand) a sort of military police. Regardless of their role and reputation in real life (which I know nothing about), I think there is a lot of potential for drama in fiction, particularly of course crime fiction. Anyway, if I have Italian readers, regular or venturing here, please tell me in the comments about the Carabinieri and your experience with them. I want to know more.