Beauvau de la Sécurité: the police must “adapt to the society of the image”, considers Darmanin

The forces of order “must modernize” and in particular “adapt to the society of the image”, declared the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin Monday, during the first round table of the Beauvau de la Sécurité devoted relations between the police and the population.

“The security forces must constantly modernize,” said the minister, insisting on the need for the latter to “improve” on communication. “We absolutely must adapt to the society of the image”, specified Gérald Darmanin, who wishes to “modernize” the “legislative tools” so that the police can better communicate on investigations and better respond to attacks.

Six in 10 French people feel “trust and sympathy” towards the police

The pollster Jérôme Fourquet, of the IFOP institute, recalled that according to a survey carried out at the beginning of the year, 6 French out of 10 feel “confidence or sympathy” with regard to the police, a stable level since “June 2012” .

But there are “fluctuations depending on a number of cases”, he continued, citing in particular the case of Michel Zecler, named after the black music producer, violently beaten by police in November. . After this affair, “the institution lost 10 points” of confidence in December, according to Mr. Fourquet. “27% of the population is worried or hostile” vis-à-vis the police, “or 10 million French”, said the pollster.

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“A part of the population is definitely irreconcilable with the police”, for his part declared Frédéric Veaux, director general of the national police, for whom “we must concentrate our efforts towards this part of the population which doubts our action”.

“What we do not do is to have a fairly important contact with the citizens”, for his part regretted the deputy LREM Jean-Michel Fauvergue, former police officer. “The police and the gendarmerie are essentially intervention police. The neighborhood police no longer exist in France, ”he lamented.

Identity control “is not the alpha and omega of police work”

“The administration must change its software,” pleaded Mr. Fauvergue. “Accept perhaps a little less quantified results, on the arrests”, in particular. We must “be convinced that identity control is not the alpha and omega of police work”, he said, recalling that this device was “widely decried” by a part of the population .

Unprecedented consultation on the police, the Beauvau of security should last until May, with debates every fortnight. The next round table, on February 22, will focus on the supervision of young police officers.