Control, complaints, cameras, staff, training… Emmanuel Macron spoke on Tuesday during a speech at the National Police Academy in Roubaix, closing the consultation of the Beauvau for security.
If you did not follow Emmanuel Macron’s speech, 20 minutes takes stock of the various announcements.
Workforce
Repeating wanting “more blue” in the street, Emmanuel Macron promised to “double in ten years” the presence on the ground of “police and gendarmes”. He also called for a reform of the security forces’ schedules to be presented at the beginning of 2022 to allow an increase in their presence on the ground. Regarding the technical and scientific police, their equipment will be upgraded, said Emmanuel Macron.
Budget
Emmanuel Macron announced an additional budget of 500 million euros in 2022 to implement the measures decided. In total, the budget of the Ministry of the Interior will increase by 1.5 billion euros in 2022. The 500 million euros constitute an extension compared to the increase of 900 million announced by Prime Minister Jean Castex at the end of July.
Simplification of procedures
Emmanuel Macron announced the development of a programming and orientation law for internal security (Lopsi), which will be presented in early 2022, and asked for a “drastic simplification” of the conduct of investigations. But this “Lopsi” will not be able to be voted under this five-year term.
He also instructed the Keeper of the Seals to initiate a simplification of criminal procedures within the framework of the Estates General of Justice with the first concrete measures expected within three months, citing the drastic simplification of investigative frameworks, the generalization summary reports for petty offenses, fixed criminal fines to simplify procedures or even the removal of “the famous reminders of the law”. On the support of victims, Emmanuel Macron, who “wants to do better”, announced the establishment of online complaint filing by 2023.
Training of law enforcement
Regarding the training of the police, Emmanuel Macron said that the time to enter school will soon be reduced: “When you take a competitive examination, you wait on average two years to enter school. (…) We need to set a goal: six months maximum between the competition and entering school ”. On training, “the training time will be increased by four months for peacekeepers and 50% more time for police and gendarmes,” added the Head of State.
Cameras
The president also set the goal of having one camera per patrol now, one camera per police officer by 2022 and one on-board camera per vehicle by 2023. He also said that “the training of OPJ [officier de police judiciaire] will be integrated into the training of police and gendarmes. It will be in everyone’s training base, ”he added.
Events
To respond to criticism of the interventions of the police during demonstrations, in particular during the movement of “yellow vests”, a “training center” on the maintenance of order for the police will be created. This center, based in the Paris region, will be like the one already existing for the gendarmes in Saint-Astier (Dordogne), said the head of state.
Operational reserve
The President of the Republic also promised the creation of the operational police reserve, endowed with 30,000 reservists. As for the reserve of the gendarmerie, it will accommodate 20,000 additional reservists.
Control of law enforcement
Of the “7,564 reports that were identified between February 1 and August 31” on the anti-discrimination platform of the Defender of Rights, “4% of calls concern the police,” began Emmanuel Macron. Advocating transparency, the Head of State announced that “the reports of the IGPN and IGGN will be made public”.
A control body for the police will also be created “to assess the police, on the model of the parliamentary intelligence delegation,” added the president, without giving more details. “We must tend towards blamelessness (…) When there are faults, they must be punished, when we love our police, we do not pass everything to them”, he stressed.
Uniform
The police will have a new “modernized polo shirt” and a cap instead of the cap from the first quarter of 2022, announced Emmanuel Macron. This new uniform, made in France and developed after a call to fashion and design schools, is part of “the consideration we owe you,” said the head of state.