While the police are singled out by a section of the population as well as by the radical left, the general inspectorate of the national police (IGPN, the "
police of the police
") is making public this Friday an annual report which undermines a certain number of fantasies and caricatures.
The contrasting inventory comes as the much dreaded "
beef-carrots
are preparing to experience an internal mini-revolution with, for the first time in their history, the appointment at their head of a magistrate, Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre.
The one who was until then deputy chief of staff of Gérald Darmanin will take up her duties next Monday.
There is no doubt that she will have already digested the 116 pages of a document listing 1,093 legal referrals for the year, 2021, still marked by the health crisis.
Either, if we except the atypical peak of 2019 linked to the movement of "
yellow vests
", a virtual stability of the most serious cases since 2016.
Decline in corruption
Of this total, 47% of the files relate to allegations of police violence.
“
This violence occurs in more than a third of cases (37%) during an arrest, or a similar operation (search, arrest, police rescue operation, etc.),
observes the IGPN, which specifies:
another moment of great tension where force can be used appears during identity checks (15%) as well as during roadside checks (12%) but also in the context of demonstrations and order services
".
If the investigations related to the use of service weapons were slightly less numerous last year (38 against 53 in 2020), those related to racist and discriminatory insults increased slightly, rising to 51 files against 38 in 2020.
These are either insults uttered to users during police checks or arrests made difficult, or insults between colleagues who take the path of social networks or union leaflets
, "says the IGPN, which only deals with the most serious and high-profile cases – i.e. 10% of litigation.
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On the corruption front, against which a dozen specialized police officers assigned to the national investigation division are fighting, 58 judicial investigations have been initiated (compared to 75 in 2020).
Among the imprisoned and dismissed police officers is notably an agent who, in private life, multiplied financial shenanigans on behalf of a drug trafficker or even a peacekeeper who obtained residence permits and false documents for one of his foreign restaurateur friends in return for “
gifts
” (meal vouchers, car, etc.).
According to the referrals, the "
beef-carrots
" also note an increase in files for "
false writing
" (67 in 2021 against 49 the previous year) linked to "
false or unfaithful reports
” drawn up to hide violence or cause
money or objects recovered during a search to “
disappear ”.
In 2021, the IGPN placed a total of 194 suspects in police custody and 37 police officers were convicted.
Increase in the use of service weapons
In the field, the police used their service weapon 290 times, a slight increase (+2%) compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, the IGPN notes a clearer increase in the number of ammunition, 846 having been used against 713 in 2020. If the shots targeted individuals described as "
dangerous
" on 32 occasions, the police fired in the direction of vehicles in 60% of cases related to the use of firearms.
In 2021, 37 people were killed and 79 injured during a police mission.
To avoid spilling blood, the police have never drawn their electric pulse pistol so much, used 2,699 times.
Twice as many as in 2017. In half of the cases, this non-lethal weapon was used in "contact mode",
dissuasive mode
” in 23% of cases or in “
shooting mode
” 25%.
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As part of its administrative investigations launched last year, the police force noted no less than 728 professional and ethical breaches committed by 301 agents.
In 20% of cases, it concerned the sacrosanct duty of exemplarity with which agents are bound, whether they are on duty or not.
Thus, 157 police officers were pinned for problems of alcoholism or drug consumption, harassment at work or violence committed in the family or friendly sphere.
Online platform
Disproportionate use of force, breaches of the duty of loyalty, cases of disobedience or use of data files for personal purposes complete the list, rather extensive, of the grievances retained.
A total of 167 agents were referred to the Disciplinary Board.
Anxious to be more accessible to the general public in a "logic of improving the police-population link", the IGPN highlights its online platform which made it possible, last year, to record 6,003 user reports. .
This is almost double compared to its commissioning in 2014. In nearly 21.5% of cases, the messages denounce "
excessive use of force
", but also problems of disrespect and lack of courtesy (17 %) as well as "
victim status not taken into account
” (10%).
