Tonight we had some excitement at the homeless shelter. The holidays seem to bring on an increase of drinking and the problems which follow. I won't bore you with the details but, at one point, the young man in charge locked us both in the office while he called the director and the police (i.e. los Carabineros).  Here is a picture of two with their bullet-proof vests like the ones worn by the two who visited us this evening.

The Carabineros are a national police force and, as I understand it, handle all of the non-investigative law enforcement in the country. 

They always drive with their lights on so you don't know when you are in trouble. They don't patrol much so traffic is mostly regulated by a balance of the desire to survive and the desire to get where you need to go.  Also, they have huge speed bumps in places you wouldn't expect.

All in all, they must do a good job as we feel pretty safe.