THE PARIS POLICE PREFECTURE - Reform to better ensure security in the Paris conurbation - Cour des comptes
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ENTITIES AND PUBLIC POLICIES
THE PARIS
POLICE
PREFECTURE
Reform to better ensure security
in the Paris conurbation
Thematic public report
Summary
December 2019g DISCLAIMER
This summary is intended to facilitate the reading and use of the
report of the Cour des comptes.
Only the response of the Prime Minister is provided at the end of
the report.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
2Summary
Introduction��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
A broad and complex field of competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Broad operational and managerial autonomy within the national
police force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Governance marked by strong centralisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Budgetary and financial management requiring
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
rationalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Priority to be given to human resources management . . . . . . 19
Public security: implementation conditions requiring reform . . . 21
The judicial police: a weakened mission, positioning that needs
to be redefined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Public order: an increasing burden, a need for improvement
in coordination and assessment of forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Conclusion ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29
Recommendations����������������������������������������������������������������������� 31
3Introduction
A sui generis institution created by the Act of 28 Pluviôse year VIII
(17 February 1800), the Police Prefecture is a unique model of territorial
administration, without equivalent in France because of its competences, which
include municipal policing and internal security missions. Gradually extended
since 2009, the Police Prefect’s internal security missions are carried out in Paris
and the inner suburbs, with some extending to the Île-de-France region, and
even beyond in a few rare case.
The specificities of the city of Paris and the Paris conurbation, where the public
authorities are based and which have one of the highest average population
densities in Europe, with daily inflows into the conurbation estimated at
1.2 million people, and also account for a significant proportion of the crime
recorded at the national level, have so far justified maintaining a model
derogating from ordinary law. The strength of this model lies in the autonomy
it gives the Police Prefect, enabling him to mobilise and coordinate the action
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
of all security services with ease, including at inter-départemental level, and so
respond to the Paris conurbation’s security problems.
The Paris conurbation’s share in national crime in 2018
10,7%
20%
Acts of violence
83,360
Homicides
20% 102
Property crime 11,9%
411,971 Burglaries
41,964
Source: Cour des Comptes based on data from the Ministerial Internal Security
Statistical Department (SSMSI) and the Police Prefecture 5Introduction
In the context of an audit completed in June 2019, the Court examined the
conditions under which the Police Prefecture carries out public security, judicial
policing and public order missions. It notes that the police services’ work is
carried out under particularly difficult conditions, marked in recent years by the
terrorist threat and a general increase in crime and public unrest. In this context,
the quality and commitment of police officers cannot be called into question.
However, the institution is characterised by somewhat inefficient organisation
and management, which needs to reform and evolve in order to carry out its
security missions more effectively.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
6A broad and complex field
of competence
Since 2009, a gradual extension of Conversely, the Police Prefect’s
the Police Prefect’s internal security municipal policing competences
competences has been one of the have been gradually reduced.
responses to the Paris conurbation’s Several successive reforms have
and Île-de-France region’s security aimed to transfer the Police
concerns. In 2009, his action was Prefect’s previous responsibility for
extended to the inner suburbs’ municipal policing missions to the
three départements to form the Mayor of Paris, therefore refocusing
Paris conurbation, and to the Paris the Police Prefect’s prerogatives
region’s three airports in 2017. In on internal security. With the latest
addition, in 2016, in his capacity as transfers of competences resulting
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
Prefect of the Paris Defence and from the Act of 28 February 2017
Security Zone, he was entrusted with bearing on the status of the City of
new management and coordination Paris, 1,600 of Paris’ surveillance
powers in the Île-de-France region, officers, who had previously worked
in particular with regard to public at the Police Prefecture, joined the
security. City service.
Such extension of the Police Prefect’s Despite these transfers, the Police
competences raises the question Prefect is still the municipal police
of coordination of his services with authority under ordinary law, while
those of the Ministry of the Interior’s the Mayor of Paris only has subject-
Directorate-General of the National matter jurisdiction. However, their
Police. Overlapping competences and competences remain inextricably
sometimes a measure of competition linked, and the Act of 2017 has
between services are the root causes still not made it possible to
of a loss of effectiveness in the dissociate their exercise or clarify their
conduct of security missions. implementation.
7A broad and complex field of competence
Traffic and Parking Policing
The Mayor of Paris is responsible Prefect has the power to influence road
for traffic and parking policing, in development projects undertaken
compliance with the Police Prefect’s by the Paris City Hall, in order to
competences as redefined by the Act ensure uninterrupted movement for
of 28 February 2017. This introduced emergency and security vehicles.
a new distinction between roads This includes ensuring the security of
regarded as «essential to security official processions and convoys. With
in Paris and the proper functioning regard to roads «contributing to the
of the public authorities» and those security of persons and property in
«contributing to the security of crisis or emergency situations», the list
persons and property in crisis or of which is established by order of the
emergency situations». On the so- Police Prefect following consultation
called «essential» roads, defined by with the Mayor of Paris, the latter is
regulation (in particular the inner and responsible for policing traffic and
outer ring roads and the transport parking, after consulting the Police
arteries alongside the Seine), the Police Prefect.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
Such sharing of competences should lead the City to take greater
provides a provisional balance responsibility in certain areas of
that will undoubtedly evolve with competence; division of roles with
the announced creation of a Paris the Police Prefecture could then be
municipal police force. Its creation reviewed once again.
8A broad and complex field of competence
The Police Prefect’s missions by territorial jurisdiction
95 - VAL-D'OISE
Paris-Charles
De Gaulle
Le Bourget
75 93
PARIS
77 - SEINE-ET-MARNE
92
78 - YVELINES
94
Orly
Yerres
91 - ESSONNE Seine
e
Sein
Yonn
ing e
Lo
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
0 10 km
Municipal police powers under ordinary law,
immigration policing and delivery of documents
Internal and civil security missions
Coordination of internal security and civil security,
security of inland waterways and rail transport networks,
management of the resources of the Ministry of the Interior’s
General Secretariat for Administration (SGAMI)
Airports (Internal and Civil Security Missions)
GeoAtlas-SRPP - DL - October 2019
Source: Cour des comptes
9Broad operational and managerial
autonomy within the national
police force
Exercising unprecedentedly extensive marked operational and managerial
powers, the Police Prefect enjoys autonomy. This has created a real
reinforced institutional positioning dualism between the Police Prefecture
with regard to internal security forces. and the rest of the national police
Unlike départemental prefectures and force.
even the Bouches-du-Rhône Police
Prefecture, active police directorates in The Police Prefecture’s organisation
Paris and the inner suburbs are directly has always been based on a centralised
attached to the Police Prefecture. command, guarantee of order and
This results in the Police Prefecture security in Paris. Because of the scale
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
operating in an «integrated” way all its of human and financial resources at
own, which, combined with the scale its disposal, the Police Prefecture
of the resources made available to it, performs a wide range of functions
means that the Police Prefect enjoys autonomously.
11Broad operational and managerial autonomy
within the national police force
Organisational chart of the Police Prefecture
Police Prefect
Prefect of the Paris
Defence and Security Zone
Prefect
Chief of Staff
Prefect Prefect
Deputy Prefect Secretary-General Secretary-General
for Safety and of the for Administration
Security of Paris Defence
Airport and
Platforms
Security Zone
General Directorate Regional Directorate Directorate
of Police of the Judicial Police of Human Resources
(DPG) (DRPJ) (DRH)
Directorate Directorate Directorate
of Transport of Intelligence of Finance,
and (DRPP) Public Procurement
Public Protection and Performance
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
(DTPP) (DFCPP)
Directorate of Local
Security in Greater Paris
(DSPAP)
Real-Estate Services
(SAI)
Directorate of Public
Order and Traffic
(DOPC) Legal Affairs and
Litigation Service
(SAJC)
Operational Directorate
of Technical
and Logistic
Services Paris Fire Brigade
(DOSTL) (BSPP)
The Police Prefecture’s
Central Laboratory
(LCPP)
Source: Police Prefecture
At 31 December 2018, all corps hierarchical authority, including 27,700
combined (excluding the Paris Fire police officers, representing one quarter
Brigade), 34,016 officers were under of the total number of the national
the Police Prefect’s operational and police service’s uniformed personnel.
12Broad operational and managerial autonomy
within the national police force
Active police directorates’ staffing and missions at 31 December 2018
Public security and order missions: day-to-day
prevention and repression of crimes and offences on
the public highway, emergency calls, emergency
policing, permanent reception of the public, security
and combating crime on transport networks
DOPC Supervision of all events taking place on the public
5 ,395 highway; protection of institutions, buildings and
sensitive sites, fluidity and security of regional traffic,
improvement of road safety
DSPAP
19,976 Combating all forms of serious, organised, economic and
financial crime
DOSTL Operational, technical and administrative support to
1,296 active directorates, and the river police
DRPJ Domestic intelligence in the context of the fight
2,207 against extremism and terrorism, in collaboration with
DRPP the DRPJ’s specialised brigades and the DGSI’s
791 services
Source: Cour des Comptes, according to the Police Prefecture
Note: Directorate of Local Security in Greater Paris (DSPAP), Directorate of Public Order and
Traffic (DOPC), Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police (DRPJ), Operational Directorate of
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
Technical and Logistical Services (DOSTL), the Police Prefecture’s Directorate of Intelligence
(DRPP)
13Governance marked
by strong centralisation
The Police Prefecture’s governance acts of physical violence committed
is characterised by strong centralisation at national level. The responsibility
to the Police Prefect’s benefit. incumbent on the Police Prefect in
Creation of the conurban police force Paris and the three départements,
in 2009 led to the inner suburbs’ which have a total of 6.4 million
three départements’ police forces inhabitants, therefore seems to
being grouped together under his be exercised in overly centralised
authority, while the Paris conurbation’s fashion.
départemental Prefects lost much of
their for security and public order The model must evolve towards
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
competence. greater deconcentration of decision-
making in matters of public security
Although the three Prefects benefit and order in the Police Prefecture’s
from delegations of signature jurisdiction. Without casting doubt
from the Police Prefect, these have on the rationale of conurban
very little practical significance. policing, which has enabled a
This atypical governance model rebalancing of numbers of police
has several drawbacks. The fact officers between Paris and the inner
that départemental Prefects only suburbs’ départements, the police
have limited powers in the policing directorates and services in the
of these densely populated and départements of Hauts-de-Seine,
security-sensitive territories seems Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne
to be out of step with the situation must once again be placed under
of these areas, which account for the operational authority of the
almost 30% of property damage and territorially competent prefects.
15Budgetary and financial
management requiring
rationalisation
The Police Prefecture’s management A budget sui generis, the City of Paris’
involves considerable human and special budget, which totals €627 M
financial resources. Progress has been according to the original 2019 budget,
made, but archaic practices persist adds further complexity to the Police
that impact its effectiveness and the Prefecture’s management. This special
conduct of its security missions. budget conceals significant cross-
financing that complicates analysis of
From a budgetary point of view, it is financial relations between the State
characterised by complex organisation and the City, such as the State’s annual
derogating from ordinary law. The reimbursement to the special budget
institution is partly financed by the (€28 M in 2017), which compensates
State budget, which records revenues for the City of Paris’ financing of
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
and expenditures relating mainly to the missions falling within the State’s
exercise of active policing, and partly competence.
by a special budget. A constituent of
the City’s main budget and voted by The transfers of competences to
the Paris Council, the special budget the city, provided for by the Act of
records revenues and expenditures 28 February 2017, have resulted in
«for services of local interest» (the a reduction in its contribution to the
medico-legal institute; the Police special budget of around €72 M in
Prefecture’s central laboratory ; the operation in 2018 and 2019. Conditions
veterinary service’s central laboratory; are in place for eventual replacement
the lost property service) and those of of the special budget with more
the Paris fire brigade. These financing appropriate mechanisms depending
arrangements reflect the Police on the nature of expenditures, some
Prefect’s dual competence, which is of which may come under ordinary
both national and local. law governing relations between the
State and local authorities.
Funding from the State budget is
scattered between five budgetary Management of the Police Prefecture’s
programmes. This makes it impossible personnel needs priority attention. It
to trace its cost with any accuracy, has several shortcomings.
although the Police Prefecture
accounts for 20% of national police While the number of police officers has
expenditures. The funds allocated to been decreasing since 2009, the setting
the Police Prefecture by the State may of an employment ceiling does not
be estimated at 1.6 billion euros, 80% form part of a genuine management
of which is spent on salaries. dialogue with the Directorate-General
17Budgetary and financial
management requiring rationalisation
of the National Police, but is the result largely carried out by police officers.
of a longstanding base of jobs in the Such assignments keep these officers
Management and Enforcement Corps away from the street, investigative
(CEA), with a level set at 23,640 FTEs, and public order missions that are
without the underlying reasons for its their core activities, whereas most
staffing requirements being known. In of these support functions could
view of the weight of staff expenditures be performed by administrative,
in the institution’s overall expenditures technical and scientific staff. Although
and the difficulties observed in the it is attempting to replace active
carrying out of certain missions, it personnel with administrative
would appear necessary to establish a staff, the Police Prefecture has not
real baseline staff, consolidated for all yet succeeded in making a lasting
the Police Prefect’s missions. reduction in the number of police
officers concerned.
A considerable number of police
officers are not assigned to directly The significant weight of the Police
operational missions, as support Prefecture’s staff structures is the
functions and staff structures within result of non-rational organisation,
the Prefecture are so burdensome, marked by a multiplication of similar
while missions to protect sensitive structures and lack of pooling
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
sites and assist the judiciary also between directorates. Measures
affect use of staff. Support functions to rationalise support functions
involve what might well be regarded are much to be desired, including
as an excessive proportion of the elimination of duplication between the
Police Prefecture’s human resources General Secretariat for Administration
(approximately 1,500 FTEs in 2017 (SGAMI) and police directorates, and
for the three main active police consolidation of internal support
directorates), especially as they are within the latter.
18Priority to be given
to human resources management
Human resources management is the increasingly significant reductions and
Police Prefecture’s main challenge. an imbalance in its workforce. Priority
While having to deal with its own
must be given to human resources
problems, the institution acts as a kind
of mirror magnifying the difficulties management both by the institution
facing the national police. The Police itself and by the Directorate-General
Prefecture has had to cope with of the National Police.
Evolution of the number of police officers under the Police Prefect’s authority
(at 31 December)
29 906
27 500 30 000
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
2 500 27 760
26 500
24 500 25 000
2 000 22 500
20 500
18 500 20 000
1 500 16 500
14 500 15 000
12 500
1 000
10 500 10 000
8 500
500 6 500
4 500 5 000
2 500
0 500 0
2009 2018
20 9
20 0
20 1
20 2
20 3
20 4
20 5
20 6
20 7
18
20 9
20 0
20 1
20 2
20 3
20 4
20 5
20 6
20 7
18
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
20
20
Conception and Direction Corps (CCD) Supervision and CCD
including higher ranking officers Implementation Unit (ECA) CC
Security Assistants
Command Corps (CC) CEA
Source: The Police Prefecture’s Directorate of Human Resources
For many years, the Police Prefecture has operational consequences. Departure
been faced with a lack of attractiveness of experienced police officers is offset by
and loyalty among its staff, due to the recruitment of school-leavers to replace
constraints of the Paris conurbation,
them. As a result, supervision rates are
including cost of living, housing in
highly inadequate. In addition, the Police
particular, and the difficult conditions
under which missions are carried out. Prefecture is faced with a more acute
The particularly high staff turnover rate shortage of judicial police officers than
impacts officers’ socio-demographic elsewhere, which is highly detrimental
characteristics, as well as having to accomplishment of its mission.
19Priority to be given to human resources
management
This situation is particularly critical and the housing policy implemented
requires the Directorate-General of the by the Police Prefecture’s Sub-
National Police to take better account Directorate for Social Action. The Police
of the Paris conurbation’s difficulties. Prefecture’s Directorate of Human
The effectiveness of the many pay- Resources, while overly focusing on
rise and promotion incentive schemes its administrative functions, must also
implemented by the Directorate develop a genuine policy for police
has not been demonstrated yet. As officers. Creation of career paths and
a solution to retain police officers control of professional risks must be
in Paris, priority should be given to among its priority projects.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
20Public security:
implementation
conditions requiring reform
Firstly, in view of public expectations activity. Territorial organisation must
and the number of staff devoted to it, be simplified and better adapted
the public security mission is carried to the exercise of such missions as
out in the Police Prefecture jurisdiction emergency and anti-crime policing.
under particularly difficult conditions
for police officers, characterised in As, in contrast to the rest of the
recent years by an increase in crime. territory, there is no Zonal Directorate
Based on inefficient organisation and of the Border Police (PAF) in Île-
staff allocation that could be further de-France, the Police Prefecture
optimised, the public security mission assumes the mission of fighting
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
is marked by declining operational illegal immigration for the Parisian
performance. conurbation. However, action by the
Police Prefecture’s Sub-Directorate for
Organisation of public security the Fight against Illegal Immigration
services is characterised by a high overlaps with the PAF’s, particularly at
degree of complexity, resulting airport platforms and in management
from an overlapping of central and of administrative detention centres
territorial structures. At 31 December (CRAs) in Paris and the outer suburbs.
2018, the Paris conurbation’s The Police Prefecture cannot totally
Directorate of Local Security covered replace the PAF in coordinating the
83 precincts and 15 districts, and fight against illegal immigration, given
relied on a dense network of 113 public the extent of the problem in the Paris
reception points. In contrast to the conurbation, which concentrates an
outer suburbs’ public security services, estimated share of over a third of
its organisation changed only slightly illegal foreigners in France. The Police
between 2009 and 2018. In terms of Prefecture’s specialised services do
the number of precincts, distribution not have the critical size to perform
of public security forces appears overly this mission alone. The Police
fragmented, with no direct correlation Prefecture’s autonomous exercise
with the populations of the areas of this particular mission runs the
concerned or the crime occurring in risk of dividing national policy, at
them. Moreover, the density of local the expense of the comprehensive
coverage does not facilitate efficient overview of illegal immigration that
use of available officers, in particular the Central Directorate of the PAF
at night, when police officers are must legitimately maintain. This
assigned to reception despite reduced situation argues for creation of a
21Public security:
implementation conditions requiring reform
Zonal Directorate of the PAF in Île- of Paris and Hauts-de-Seine to the
de-France, possibly placed under the benefit of Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-
Police Prefect’s operational authority. de-Marne. Apart from Paris, Seine-
Saint-Denis is now the département
Analysis of allocation of public security with the highest number of police
officers since 2009 shows successful officers per inhabitant (19.72 officers
rebalancing from the départements per 10,000 inhabitants in 2018).
Average number of active police officers per 10,000 inhabitants
51
16 16
23
Lille 38 20
18 Seine-
14 Saint-
Denis
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
20 Paris
17
Hauts-
de-Seine 18 16
Val-de-
Marne
Marseille
0 100 km
Cour des Comptes/SRPP - DL - December 2019
Number of police officers per 10,000 inhabitants in 2009
Number of police officers per 10,000 inhabitants in 2018
Source: Cour des Comptes based on data from the Police Prefecture, Departmental Directorates
of Public Security 59 and 13 and data.gouv.fr.
Note: active personnel (Command and Coordination Centre, Management and Enforcement
Corps and security assistant) at 30 September 2009 and 31 March 2018.
22Public security:
implementation conditions requiring reform
Night services are pooled, which in compliance with objectives, these
is particularly beneficial to Seine- figures cover significant territorial
Saint-Denis. This better distribution disparities. Evolution of police officers’
of human resources was one of employment conditions between 2010
the conurban police’s objectives. and 2017 has led to an activity profile
Nevertheless, allocation of staff could that has tended to move them away
be better correlated with local crime from their core focus. Moreover, the
levels. Furthermore, the evolution of aim of greater presence on the street
staff numbers in the precincts studied has not yet been achieved; in fact,
by the Court appear to be uncorrelated there has been a marked reduction.
with the resource allocation tool set In 2014, there was an average number
up by the Directorate of Local Security of 1 ,126 police officers on the street
in Greater Paris (DSPAP). at any given time across the Paris
conurbation, as against 878 in 2018.
Police services’ performance of public Paris is experiencing the most marked
security missions is uneven. Although deterioration, with 273 police officers
the police emergency services’ present on the street at any given time
average response times are short and in 2018, as against 439 in 2014.
Evolution of the average number of officers present on the street at any given time
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
for the DSPAP
439
273
202
189
157
130 Number of police officers
on the street at any given time
DTSP* in 2014
93
DTSP*
75 Number of police officers
DTSP* on the street at any given time
in 2018
92
126
121 * DTSP: Territorial Directorate
DTSP* of Local Security
94
0 10 km
Cour des comptes/SRPP - DL- december 2019
Source: DSPAP
23Public security:
implementation conditions requiring reform
While the new operational doctrine must be rapidly and accurately
implies increasing police presence on assessed in order to see whether a real
the street, its initial implementation reversal of the trend is likely to result.
“Everyday Security” Police (PSQ) doctrine based on greater presence
on the ground
PSQ objectives were set in an police stations. Certain sensitive sectors,
instruction issued by the Minister of categorised as Republican Reconquest
the Interior in February 2018. The PSQ Districts (QRRs), are benefiting
aims to give precinct chiefs greater from reinforcement of human and
latitude in defining local security material resources. In the context of
strategies adapted to each area. It also
implementation of the PSQ, the Police
promotes greater police presence on
Prefect and Territorial Directorates of
the ground, densification of the local
partnership, greater contact with Public Security (DTSPs) all advocate
the population, and quality of public stepping up police presence on the
reception. Implementation of the ground, in the street in particular, as
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
PSQ relies in particular on territorial well as improving contact with the
contact brigades (BTCs) located at population.
24The judicial police: a weakened
mission, positioning that needs
to be redefined
The Paris Judicial Police’s current Central Directorate of the Judicial
organisation and the conditions Police (DCPJ) should be considered in
under which it carries out its mission order to overcome these difficulties
raise several questions regarding the and make better use of the two
institution itself, its efficiency and its services’ often duplicated or even
operational effectiveness. competing resources. Such linkage will
have to be achieved in such a way as to
The judicial police’s mission is divided free up resources for implementation
up in the Police Prefecture between of the local judicial police mission,
multiple directorates and sometimes which is currently in great difficulty.
even services within the same
directorate. There is also geographical In a general context of increasing
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
heterogeneity in the crime levels crime (up by around 13.5% in the
handled by the Directorate of Local Paris conurbation between 2012 and
Security in Greater Paris (DSPAP) 2018), the operational performance
and the Regional Directorate of the of local judicial police services, which
Judicial Police (DRPJ). Protocols handle minor crimes (95% of incidents
for distribution of cases between recorded in the Paris conurbation),
these different services provide for as measured by clearance rates, is
unequal levels of referrals between deteriorating. Investigation services in
Paris and the inner suburbs, which the Paris conurbation are increasingly
may be explained by the DRPJ’s overloaded. If the situation is to be
overinvestment in criminal cases remedied, the recruitment difficulties
in Paris. These findings call for a experienced by the investigation
more balanced distribution of cases branch (a problem outside the Police
between the DSPAP and the DRPJ on Prefecture’s scope) must be resolved.
the one hand, and within the DRPJ on Improvement of the local judicial
the other. police’s results also requires provision
of methodological support to
While coordination between services investigation services and definition
and sharing of information affect of strategic priorities in consultation
the judicial police’s ability to solve with the Paris conurbation’s public
cases, the compartmentalisation and prosecutors’ offices.
competition observed between the
DRPJ and the Central Directorate of Finally, apart from the fight against
the Judicial Police appear problematic. drug trafficking, the specialised
The DRPJ’s organic attachment to the judicial police’s results are mixed.
25The judicial police: a weakened mission,
positioning that needs to be redefined
Anti-narcotics plans
The plan to combat drug trafficking plans. However, cases that come
brings together the Directorates within the plan’s focuses show
of Intelligence, Local Security in more satisfactory results. In Val-de-
Greater Paris, and the Judicial Marne in 2018, for example, cases
Police, which acts as a coordinating
within the plan’s context (26%)
authority, around various territorial
accounted for 46% of individuals
and thematic objectives for each
département. The majority of brought before the courts, 47% of
cases handled by the conurbation’s drug seizures, 47% of cash seizures
public security services and judicial and over half of the total amount of
police in the fight against drugs are assets seized. This is also true in the
outside the focuses defined in the other départements.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
26Public order: an increasing burden,
a need for improvement
in coordination and assessment
of forces
Questions relating to public order arise having specialised units and services
in terms specific to Paris owing the adapted to the specificities of public
high number of events that take place order in Paris, the Police Prefecture’s
there and the fact of its beings the Directorate of Public Order and Traffic
seat of government. Created in 1999 (DOPC) is responsible for maintaining
with the dual objective of refocusing public order. Since 2016, it has had
police stations on their primary to deal with an average of almost
activity of combating crime and 8,000 events a year.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
Annual number of public order events handled by the DOPC
Source: DOPC
In its management of public order, on coordinating the forces operating
the Police Prefecture relies on its under its authority, and improve its
Directorate of Public Order and its response to public order events by
public security officers, along with monitoring relevant indicators and
a daily allocation of twelve mobile implementing a rapid cycle of analysis
force units, frequently supported by of events and lessons to be learned.
additional reinforcements.
Taking note of the unusual nature
Hence, the Police Prefecture is torn of the «Yellow Vests» events that
between its ambition to manage have occurred since November 2018,
public order autonomously in its the Court refrains from assessing
area of competence – an ambition the conduct of law enforcement
embodied in the creation of the DOPC operations in the face of these events
– and the need to call on resources of unprecedented scale and frequency.
that the Directorate and even the
Prefecture itself cannot provide. It has, however, examined the
organisation adopted by the Police
In order to improve conditions for Prefecture in order to carry out this
implementation of its public order mission and recommends that the
mission, the DOPC must focus more DOPC’s assessment function and
27Public order: an increasing burden,
a need for improvement in coordination
and assessment of forces
feedback practices be improved so as centres of the directorates responsible
to draw conclusions on the public order for law enforcement and public
mission’s doctrine and organisation. It security, whose action is increasingly
also recommends closer alignment integrated in order to deal with large-
of the hitherto separate command scale events.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
28Conclusion
Upon completion of its work, the Court deems that the Police Prefecture needs
to implement far-reaching reform in order to better ensure security in the Paris
conurbation.
This finding leads it to make 13 structuring recommendations, with four
objectives in mind.
- The Police Prefecture’s governance and its organisation must evolve, in order
for it to better integrate into its institutional environment and accomplish its
security missions under better conditions.
- Its budgetary and financial management, which is still riddled with archaisms,
must become more efficient.
- Due to difficulties that are often greater than elsewhere, human resources
management must be a priority both for the institution itself and for the
Directorate-General of the National Police.
- In order to improve the service provided to the Paris conurbation’s inhabitants,
public security, judicial policing and public order missions must gain in
operational efficiency.
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
29Recommendations
Reduce the institution’s excessive of the Interior’s General Secretariat for
centralisation, adapt its territorial Administration (SGAMI) and prioritise
organisation and improve coor- performance of such functions by
dination with the services of the administrative, technical and scientific
Directorate-General of the National staff (ATS).
Police
Abolish the special budget and organise
Place the police services in the inner financial relations between the City
suburbs’ départements under the of Paris and the Police Prefecture
Départemental Prefects’ operational
throughout special agreements (DB,
authority (SGMI, DGPN, PP).
PP, DGCL, City of Paris).
Review the organisation of the
Give priority to human resources
Directorate of Local Security in Greater
management
Paris by merging local security districts
that do not have the critical size to carry Assess the effectiveness of the pay-
out their missions successfully(PP).
rise and rapid promotion schemes
Set up a Zonal Directorate of the implemented in Île-de-France with a
Border Police in the Île-de-France view to building staff loyalty; simplify
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
region, to take over the tasks assigned and better target them; in such
to the Paris Police Prefecture’s Sub- incentive schemes, give priority to
Directorate for the Fight against Illegal financing the housing policy (DGPN,
Immigration (DGPN). PP).
Integrate the Paris Regional Define career paths by corps,
Directorate of the Judicial Police into professionalising occupational risk
the Central Directorate of the Judicial management and adapting the
Police in order to eliminate duplication training system to needs (DGPN, PP).
and competition between the two
organisations and create operational Improve conditions for the exercise of
synergy effects (DGPN, PP). public security, judicial policing and
public order missions
Make the Police Prefecture’s
budgetary and financial management Increase police street-presence in local
more efficient security districts, and measure it by
using data from the electronic duty log
Build up a consolidated baseline staff and relevant activity indicators (PP).
for all the Police Prefect’s missions;
organise it for each active policing Update protocols on division of
mission, taking account of territorial competences between the public
specificities (DGPN, PP). security and criminal investigation
services in order to take account of
Reduce support functions in police evolutions in crime and territorial
directorates, only retaining functions organisation, ensuring that disparities
that cannot be provided by the Ministry between levels of referral to Paris
31Recommendations
and the inner suburbs are justified by public prosecutors’ offices in the
objective territorial differences and do Paris conurbation, define priorities for
not lead to an imbalance in resources processing cases by type of litigation
(PP, DACG). (PP, DACG).
Create a tool providing the Police Better integrate all officers under the
Prefecture with a consolidated view DOPC’s authority into the public order
of the total backlog of cases in local mission by aligning command centres,
reception and investigation services; sharing best practices and increasing
in collaboration with all competent feedback and assessment (PP).
Summary of the Thematic Public Report of the Cour des comptes
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