France/Police
police force
| France/Police link () Website | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Staff | 145,200 |
| The French police | |
France has two police forces, the National Police and the National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. By contrast, the National Gendarmerie has primary jurisdiction in smaller towns, as well as in rural and border areas.
Gendarmerie preparing for war
In 2025, General Hubert Bonneau outlined the role of his force in case of a war with Russia "If we have a major commitment in the East, for example, I think that it will not happen without agitation on national territory". "I think that we could have actions carried out by proxies, sabotage and also demonstrations because I am not sure that all our fellow citizens are in favor of this type of commitment," he added. This "agitation" could manifest itself even before a conflict, he estimated, that is to say "if France is a host nation and sensitive equipment passes through its territory" in order to strengthen, for example, NATO forces deployed in Eastern Europe.[1]
