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Obeying the law: the actors (2/2)
The sheet has two objectives. To discover the categories of offences and to identify the main actors in charge of making sure the law is respected.
Key points of the sheet
- The police and the gendarmerie are law enforcement forces (forces de l'ordre). They make sure laws are respected in France.
- They are two separate institutions. The police work in towns. The gendarmerie works in rural and peri-urban areas (countryside) and on main roads.
- Gendarmes have military status.
- The police and the gendarmerie have the same missions in different areas. They prevent offences, keep public order and protect people and property.
- They also investigate offences. They protect the country in case of an external threat or terrorism.
- Police officers and gendarmes can give fines. They can record the testimony of an offence in the form of reports (procès-verbaux).
- They can also observe facts and report them to the courts. The 2 institutions sometimes work together.
Words to know
- law enforcement forces (forces de l'ordre)
- The police and the gendarmerie are law enforcement forces. They make sure laws are respected.
- police
- The police make sure laws are respected in towns.
- gendarmerie
- The gendarmerie works in rural and peri-urban areas (countryside) and on main roads. Gendarmes have military status.
- reports (procès-verbaux)
- Police officers and gendarmes can record the testimony of an offence in the form of reports (procès-verbaux).
- keeping public order (maintien de l'ordre public)
- It is a mission of the police and the gendarmerie.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Where do the police make sure laws are respected?
In French, the language of the exam: Où la police assure-t-elle le respect des lois ?
The police make sure laws are respected in towns. The gendarmerie works in the countryside.
What is the status of gendarmes?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel est le statut des gendarmes ?
The sheet says that gendarmes have military status.
What is one mission of the police and the gendarmerie?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle est une mission de la police et de la gendarmerie ?
The police and the gendarmerie are in charge of preventing offences.
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More in this topic (Obligations and duties of people living in France)
Source
Sheet “Se conformer aux lois - les acteurs (2/2)” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.