Police Nationale

   (see also Police)

   The main national police force in France. The principal remit of the Police National in France is the maintenance of law and order in French towns and cities (In rural areas, this is the responsibility of the Gendarmerie (q.v.)). The National Police force comprises six main operational divisions: Public security (the DCSP), by far the largest division, and responsible for everyday policing duties. The riot police (CRS, Compagnie Républicaine de Sécurité), the Police Judiciaire (PJ, or "Pégie"), responsible for criminal investigations, the border police (Police aux Frontières), the Police training service, and the surveillance department, known since 2008 as the DCRI (Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur).