Upon entering Division 110 here, we step into a place where the earthly remains rest under the careful watch of French law. Law enforcement in France is centralized. It operates at a national level. The National Police oversee major cities. The Gendarmerie Nationale is part of the French armed forces. It polices smaller towns and rural areas.
France’s police force has a long history. It dates back to AD 570. Night watch systems were common then. Today, France has two national police forces. There is the National Police and the National Gendarmerie. The National Police was once called the Sûreté. Eugène François Vidocq created it in 1812.
In 1966, its name changed to Police Nationale. It handles policing in major cities. The Police Nationale reports to the Ministry of the Interior. It has about 149000 officers. The Paris Police Prefecture is also under the Ministry of the Interior.
The National Gendarmerie’s origins go back to 1306. King Philippe le Bel formed the Maréchaussée. It was the first mounted military police. By 1791, it became the Gendarmerie Nationale. There are about 102000 gendarmes today.
The police fight drug trafficking and terrorism. They tackle gang activities and property damage. They respond to riots and illegal immigration. They address money laundering and traffic offenses. Maintaining public safety is a main task. They secure important events. They solve criminal cases. They rescue disaster victims. The Gendarmerie also watches over key sites. Airports and nuclear plants are examples.
Other agencies also play a role. The General Directorate for Internal Security combats espionage. The Customs service fights drug trafficking. Judicial tax officers investigate tax crimes. The National Forests Office prevents forest degradation.
Municipal police work in towns and cities. They maintain safety. Rural guards do the same in smaller villages. Public roads officers handle traffic offenses.
The National Police operates mainly in cities. It conducts patrols and traffic control. It does identity checks. Investigating magistrates oversee criminal inquiries. The National Police maintains judicial police services.
The National Police is led by a Director-General. The Paris Police Prefecture has a separate chief. This chief reports to the Interior Minister. The National Police has several directorates. These include judicial police and public security. The Republican Security Companies are riot police. The RAID is an elite counter-terror unit.
Until 1984, the National Police did rescue operations. Fire services now handle prehospital aid. Mountain rescue is shared. It is shared between the Gendarmerie and the National Police.
The powers of French police are set by law. Procedures depend on the inquiry stage. Crimes have rules for flagrante delicto. Preliminary inquiries have their own rules. Judicial information involves a judge’s supervision. Except for flagrante delicto, searches need a magistrate’s commission.
Officers of judicial police have special qualifications. They follow rules from the criminal procedure code. Mayors are officers of judicial police. But they rarely use this role.
The National Police has different ranks. These range from Gardien de la paix to Directeur Général. The ranks are worn on shoulders or chest. In the 2000s, police began using semi-automatic pistols. The standard sidearm became the SIG Sauer Pro SP 2022.
The police use French car brands. Renault and Peugeot are common. Some vehicles come from Ford and Opel.