Les missions des Policiers Municipaux

Summary

The video gives an exam-oriented overview of the legal framework and main duties of French municipal police officers (policiers municipaux, or PM). Its central point is that their work draws on several codes and involves both local administrative duties and a judicial-police role.

1. The mayor’s police powers and the PM’s role

• The presenter distinguishes administrative policing, exercised under the mayor’s authority, from judicial-police activity, which involves the territorially competent judicial police officer (OPJ).
• Municipal police officers have a dual role: they serve the local authority and perform duties as auxiliary judicial police officers (APJA).
• The mayor may issue municipal police orders. Officers can record violations of those orders, but the presenter stresses that an order must provide for a penalty for a fine to be issued.
• The video cites Article R. 610-5 of the Penal Code for violations of municipal police orders and describes them as second-class offences, with a maximum fine of €150.

2. Codes and provisions to learn

The presenter recommends learning the principal legal references and what each one covers:

• General Code of Local Authorities (CGCT): Cited for the mayor’s police powers and municipal orders, particularly provisions identified in the subtitles as Articles L. 221-1 and L. 2212-2.
• Code of Criminal Procedure (CPP):
  • Article 21 is presented as defining the APJA status of municipal police officers.
  • Articles 21-1 and 21-2 are discussed in relation to territorial jurisdiction, reporting duties, and the transmission of judicial reports.
  • Articles 20 and 16 are mentioned for other categories of police and judicial-police officers.
• Internal Security Code (CSI): Article L. 511-1 is presented as a core provision describing municipal police duties.
• Penal Code: Article R. 610-5 is cited for violations of municipal police orders.
• Highway Code: Discussed in connection with traffic enforcement, screenings, and licence retention.

The presenter emphasizes that municipal police officers must report crimes and offences to the competent OPJ without delay and transmit the relevant reports through the prescribed channels.

3. Main duties under the Internal Security Code

As summarized in the video, municipal police officers act within their assigned responsibilities and under the mayor’s authority. Their work includes:

• Prevention and surveillance.
• Maintaining public order and tranquillity, and protecting safety and public health.
• Ensuring that municipal police orders are carried out.
• Recording offences and issuing reports or payment notices where authorized.
• Conducting visual luggage inspections at organized events with the owner’s consent.
• Recording certain offences on public transport.

The presenter also says officers must be approved by the prefect and sworn in by the public prosecutor.

4. Traffic enforcement and related procedures

The video describes the following points about Highway Code enforcement:

• Municipal police can record many traffic offences, often using electronic ticketing (PVe). The presenter describes many such offences as subject to fixed fines.
• For alcohol or drug screening, the presenter says officers must first contact and obtain authorization from the competent OPJ. The subtitles cite Articles L. 234-3 and L. 235-2 of the Highway Code.
• The presenter identifies two situations in which municipal police may retain a driver’s licence:
  • A major speeding offence, described as more than 40 km/h above the limit.
  • Use of a handheld phone while committing another traffic offence, with crossing a solid line given as an example.
• The video says that alcohol-related cases are handled by the OPJ rather than independently by municipal police.

5. Records and databases

The presenter lists databases or files that municipal police officers may access, including the national driver’s licence file, vehicle-registration records, a bicycle file, and an impoundment database. The subtitles also mention other files, while noting that some records may require contacting the national police or gendarmerie.

Important note

Some article numbers, acronyms, and legal terms appear garbled or inconsistent in the auto-generated subtitles. The provisions above reflect the lesson’s presentation; exact statutory references should be checked against current official texts when studying.

Speakers and sources featured

• Speaker: Atlas, the presenter of the lesson.
• Source/channel: Police Municipale Academy.
• Legal sources discussed: The CGCT, CPP, CSI, Penal Code, and Highway Code.