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| Secrétariat général à la Police | |
|---|---|
| Name | Secrétariat général à la Police |
| Native name | Secrétariat général à la Police |
| Formed | 19th century (modernized 20th century) |
| Jurisdiction | France |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Parent agency | Ministère de l'Intérieur |
Secrétariat général à la Police is a central administrative office within the French internal security apparatus historically responsible for coordination, administration, and policy implementation related to national police functions. It has interacted with institutions such as the Ministère de l'Intérieur, the Préfecture de Police de Paris, the Direction générale de la Police nationale, and various judicial bodies including the Cour de cassation and the Conseil d'État. Over time it has been shaped by events like the French Revolution, the July Monarchy, the Third Republic, and legislative reforms during the Vichy regime and the Fifth Republic.
The office traces origins to administrative reforms under figures such as Napoléon Bonaparte, Comte de Linois, and ministers like Adolphe Thiers and Émile Ollivier during the 19th century, when policing functions evolved alongside institutions such as the Préfecture system and the Gendarmerie nationale. During the Dreyfus affair and periods of civil unrest including the Paris Commune of 1871 and the May 1968 demonstrations, the secretariat adapted policy tools used by the Préfecture de Police de Paris and coordinated with the Direction de la surveillance du territoire and the Direction générale de la Sécurité extérieure. Wartime conditions under the Vichy regime and occupation governance led to restructuring influenced by actors such as Philippe Pétain and administrators interacting with the Gestapo and Milice française. Postwar reconstruction in the era of Charles de Gaulle and ministers like Christian Fouchet and Michel Debré further redefined its remit, as did European integration processes involving the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.
The secretariat sits within the administrative hierarchy of the Ministère de l'Intérieur alongside agencies such as the Direction générale de la Police nationale, the Gendarmerie nationale, and the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information. Its internal divisions historically mirrored functions found in units like the Direction centrale de la Sécurité publique, the Direction de la Police judiciaire, the Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur, and territorial arms represented by the Préfecture network across regions such as Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Leadership roles have interfaced with offices of the Ministre de l'Intérieur, the Prime Minister, and regional prefects such as the préfet de police de Paris. Administrative procedures referenced statutes like the Code pénal and the Code de procédure pénale when coordinating with magistrates at the Tribunal de grande instance and the Cour d'appel.
The secretariat has been responsible for policy coordination between entities such as the Police nationale, the Gendarmerie nationale, the Direction centrale des renseignements généraux, and municipal police authorities like those in Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux. Functions include strategic planning aligned with directives from the Ministère de l'Intérieur, operational support for units such as the Compagnies républicaines de sécurité, liaison with the Office central pour la répression du trafic illicite des stupéfiants and the Office central de lutte contre le crime organisé, and administrative oversight of human resources, budgets, and procurement involving the Cour des comptes audits. It also coordinated crisis responses involving actors like the Service d'information et de communication de la présidence de la République and emergency services including the Service départemental d'incendie et de secours.
Legal authority derives from instruments enacted by legislatures and executive decrees associated with the Assemblée nationale, the Sénat, and administrations of presidents such as François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, and Emmanuel Macron. Relevant statutes and jurisprudence include provisions of the Code de procédure pénale, administrative orders issued by the Conseil d'État, and decisions of the Cour de cassation shaping competence vis-à-vis prosecutors of the Parquet de Paris and judges at the Tribunal administratif de Paris. European legal frameworks from the European Court of Justice and instruments such as the Schengen Agreement have influenced cross-border cooperation with agencies like Europol and Interpol.
Operationally, the secretariat coordinated national programs in areas such as counterterrorism alongside the Direction générale de la Sécurité intérieure, organized anti-drug campaigns with the Observatoire français des drogues et des toxicomanies, and managed public order strategies used by the Compagnies républicaines de sécurité. It supported information-sharing initiatives with the Direction centrale de la Police judiciaire and international cooperation with the FBI, MI5, and Bundeskriminalamt. Programs included personnel training linked to institutions such as the École nationale supérieure de la police, modernization projects involving the Agence nationale pour la rénovation urbaine, and IT systems procurement often coordinated with the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information.
Oversight mechanisms have involved parliamentary commissions of the Assemblée nationale, reviews by the Cour des comptes, and inquiries at the Conseil constitutionnel level where liberty issues intersected with policing measures. Criticisms have arisen from civil society organizations such as La Ligue des droits de l'homme, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch regarding practices during incidents like the Yellow vests movement protests, surveillance policies scrutinized in light of rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, and alleged abuses spotlighted by media outlets including Le Monde, Libération, and Le Figaro. Judicial cases and parliamentary reports have prompted reforms debated by ministers like Bernard Cazeneuve and Gérard Collomb.
Key administrators and senior officials who have influenced the office's evolution include prefects and ministers such as Émile Loubet, Louis Lépine, Clemenceau, Georges Pompidou, Yves Bonnet, Jean-Claude Méry, Jean-Marc Falcone, Bernard Boucault, and other senior civil servants who interacted with leaders across the Ministère de l'Intérieur and judicial institutions like the Cour de cassation and the Conseil d'État. International cooperation involved figures from Europol, Interpol, and bilateral contacts with counterparts in Germany, United Kingdom, United States, and Italy.