What is the role of the police?

An official question of the French civic exam, with its answer and the official text that proves it, in French and English.

Multi-year residence permit no. 107, Resident card no. 119

Quel est le rôle de la police ?

Answer. To enforce the law, maintain public order and protect people and property, mainly in cities.

Faire respecter la loi, maintenir l'ordre public et protéger les personnes et les biens, surtout en ville.

The police prevent offenses, investigate them and protect the population. It operates mainly in cities, while the gendarmerie operates in rural areas.

The official text that proves it

« La police et la gendarmerie exercent les mêmes missions mais dans des zones différentes. Elles se chargent de : la prévention des infractions ; le maintien de l’ordre public ; la protection des personnes et des biens ; »
The police and the gendarmerie carry out the same missions, but in different areas. They are responsible for preventing offenses, maintaining public order, and protecting people and property.
In French, with its English meaning. read the official sheet

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Questions from the official lists of the French Ministry of the Interior, quotations from the civic training sheets, the Constitution and the 1789 Declaration, Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0. This is not a government site. The official sheets are free, in French, on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr.