Peacekeepers

"Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they're as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is."

- Katniss Everdeen about the District 12 Peacekeepers

The Peacekeepers comprise a which is controlled by the Capitol, and tasked with maintaining order throughout the nation of Panem. They essentially act as the government's internal security force in the various districts, led by a "Head Peacekeeper" who is the commander of the local garrison. They ensure that the Capitol's laws are obeyed, and punish those who break them. Peacekeepers serve as the Capitol's main instrument of control and repression, by arresting political dissidents such as Cinna who, in Catching Fire they brutally attack and drag away before Katniss' eyes. Peacekeepers also form the bulk of the Capitol's army, serving as foot soldiers and piloting hovercrafts.



Appearance


Peacekeepers are dressed in white uniforms with a light armor.

In the The Hunger Games film, the uniforms are white with black stripes at the sleeves and collar. They include white helmets, with a black stripe in the centre with the Capitol Seal on it and a transparent visor, black leather boots and gloves, with a baton on their belt. Some of the peacekeepers in the Training center and most places in the Capitol wear a berret instead of a helmet and a sash. In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, their appearance is different from the first and slightly grey movie with a full helmet, darker visor which hides their face, heavier looking armor,with white boots knee pads on the pants and grey gloves. They are also equipped with a gun that they wear around them.

Known Peacekeepers

 * Darius
 * Purnia
 * Romulus Thread
 * Cray

Duties and Law Enforcement
Peacekeepers are tasked with 'keeping the peace' and punishing those who break Capitol law, or show defiance to its regime. Punishments normally consist of public whippings, and Peacekeepers are usually equipped with automatic weapons such as machine guns to further discourage social disobedience among the Districts. The Peacekeepers are strict in large districts such as District 11, but in districts such as District 12, they bend the rules to satisfy their own stomachs. While all of the Peacekeepers' duties are very similar, in some districts the punishments differ; for example, during Catching Fire it is noted that various Peacekeepers from District 12 think that forty lashings for hunting illegally is more than enough, while a District 11 Peacekeeper seems to think that forty is not enough. In District 11 the Peacekeepers do not hesitate to carry out on-the-spot executions for minor crimes. In The Hunger Games, Rue describes how a boy named Martin with a mental disorder tried to hide a pair of night vision glasses in his pants. He was killed on the spot by the Peacekeepers and Rue tells Katniss that he obviously wasn't dangerous and only wanted to play with them. On Katniss and Peeta's Victory Tour of District 11 in Catching Fire, an elderly man was executed for saluting Katniss, which the Peackeepers perceive as an act of defiance to the Capitol's rule. TtTh R Rue

Catching Fire
In Catching Fire, Bonnie and Twill disguise themselves as Peacekeepers, dressing in uniforms from the District 8 factories in an attempt to escape from Panem. They are discovered by Katniss. Despite Katniss's attempts to keep them alive, they do not make it to District 13, and are presumed dead, possibly discovered by Peacekeepers.

It is revealed that most of the Peacekeepers are originally from District 2 where they are trained for this kind of life. It was originally thought that the Peacekeepers came from the Capitol but it was a difficult transition for those used to such a lavish lifestyle to live in the impoverished districts. An exception would be considered if a Capitol citizen was deeply in debt and had no other means of recompense.

Simulated Peacekeepers are used in the District 13 training course.

Trivia

 * Peacekeepers must serve the state for 20 years without marriage or children, thus preventing them from having loyalties to anything other than Panem and the Capitol. This is another comparison to the Roman Empire and its military structure, which Panem is a post-apocalyptic emulation of.


 * Throughout the series, there are only three known female peacekeepers, Purnia, another District 12 peacekeeper and a District 11 peacekeeper.
 * Though there are exceptions, like Cray, peacekeepers are very loyal to President Snow and Panem.
 * The fact that most Peacekeepers are from District 2 and not the Capitol is similar to the late Roman army in that most soldiers were German "barbarians" and not Roman citizens.