According to a study published this Tuesday, February 27, 2024 by the rights defender, a majority of police officers and gendarmes consider that carrying out their mission takes priority over respecting the law.
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It is a questionnaire completed voluntarily and anonymously by 976 gendarmes and 655 police officers. Spread across seven departments: three in Île-de-France and four in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
This study, entrusted by the rights defender, Claire Hédon, to researchers from the Center for Sociological Research on Law and Penal Institutions (Cesdip) highlights that 60% of police officers and gendarmes would like greater tolerance regarding the use force in certain cases, which are not specified in the investigation. An opinion more widespread among police officers (69.1% compared to 54.2% among gendarmes).
“Contrasting” perceptions of the profession
This study also reflects the perception that the police have of their role in society and highlights a crisis of confidence in the population. If the use of force is prohibited in more than nine cases out of ten to obtain confessions, only one gendarme in three and less than one police officer in four think that citizens can be trusted to behave properly. .
Furthermore, 40% question the effectiveness of frequent identity checks to ensure the security of a territory and particularly to combat cannabis consumption (69.5%).
Lack of training
In her report, the defender of rights, an independent authority responsible for ensuring compliance with ethics by those ensuring the security of citizens, also emphasizes the lack of training of law enforcement. Nearly half of the agents (45.7%) say they are sufficiently trained in matters of citizens’ rights and rules of ethics.
Claire Hédon therefore recommends “ strengthen the initial and continuing training of police officers and gendarmes, particularly on the de-escalation of violence “.
A focused investigation
Several police unions denounce an incriminating study and recall, concerning identity checks, that “ if 40% of law enforcement officers consider them to be little or not effective, 60% think they are, a large majority » for Éric Henry, national delegate for Alliance, one of the main police unions.
Linda Kebbab, national delegate of the Unité SGP-FO union, questions the very validity of this study: “ We wonder about the method of this survey which is not representative of anything », she comments. “ Why are the questions as they were asked not made public and how were the colleagues who responded to the survey selected? »
Basically, Linda Kebbab specifies that in France, “ the number of proceedings quashed by magistrates for non-compliance with the law is extremely low ”, and recalls that “ institutions like the IGPN (the police force) are very effective “.
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