Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité
The Compagnies républicaines de sécurité, abbreviated CRS, are the general reserve of the French National Police. They are primarily involved in general security missions, but the task for which they are best known is crowd and riot control. They often arrive in large vans which are known as Camions Remplies de Singes. The DCCRS has seven units: in Paris, Lille, Rennes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and Metz.
CRS van 1950s - CRS Museum
CRS officers during a demonstration in 2016
CRS in riot control gear
CRS water cannon - 2016
The National Police, formerly known as the Sûreté nationale, is one of two national police forces of France, the other being the National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. By contrast, the National Gendarmerie has primary jurisdiction in smaller towns, as well as in rural and border areas. The National Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior and has about 145,200 employees. Young French citizens can fulfill their mandatory service in the police force.
Colour guard of the General Directorate of the National Police, 2013 Bastille Day parade, Paris
SP 2022, the present standard issued sidearm of French police officers.
Intervention in 2020 of a police team in Courbevoie. Policemen are equipped with tasers.
Peugeot 308