I am a great fan of detective fiction. Give me a Sue Grafton, J.D. Robb and especially the classic Agatha Christie ‘who done it’ any day. Consequently, I read frequently of police asking questions, garnering answers.
It’s something you read about, but it just doesn’t happen in real life. Until – it does. The doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was a police woman standing there. I could see her partner talking to someone further up the road. They were asking questions about a neighbour.
Because my French comprehension fluctuates in its fluency, especially with new topics, I didn’t catch all of what had happened. But I was able to answer questions. ‘Had I heard or seen anything unusual last night?’ It felt surreal, like stepping into a novel. I felt, I wished I could help, but could only answer in the negative.
Village Life
It’s a funny thing about living in a small village in France, a surprising amount happens. I now better understand how Christies’ Miss Marple seemed to have so much to investigate. That’s not to say that my village is a hot bed of crime. Quite the opposite. But I have seen the police at the door and out and about more times in the years I have been here than I have ever seen in my life outside of France.
This might garner the question therefore – why? If my little village is not a haven for criminals, why do I see the police more often here? The answer is because it is a community. And the police, or gendarme in my village’s case, are part of the community.
Police versus Gendarme
Now in France there are two ‘police’ forces. The ‘Police’, originally called the Sûreté, are the ones you see in cities. And the ‘Gendarmes’, who are technically the military, they cover rural areas and villages (of less than 20,000), also airports and shipping ports. This separation was created back in 1941, during the time of the Vichy government, and remains a legacy of the ‘state police’ system implemented then.
And this being France, there is another reason we have two national forces. The military is not permitted to go on strike, unlike civilian public servants like police officers, which allows the government to always have a tool of law enforcement on hand. And as everyone knows, the French do like to go on strike, so this distinction can be quite important.
Out and About
In terms of police, or in my case since I live in a rural area the Gendarme, encounters are variable in their content. There were the pre-cursor pandemic pass encounters, with the Gendarme checking we weren’t out more than our allotted hour during those early lock-downs. We had to carry a piece of paper, an ‘attestation’, stating the date and time and our reason for being outside our home. Mostly in my village we did not see the Gendarme, but there were spot checks.
The most poignant, was the request whilst walking one evening to keep my eyes open to help search for a man with Alzheimer’s who had gone missing. This is what village life is often like. It’s not only helping neighbours and friends, but sometimes even the police themselves.
It’s Very Strange
My strangest encounter with the police in France was a year after I had changed the lock on one of my doors. It’s a door that leads into a passageway that actually goes into my neighbours house. However, this passage lies beneath my roof, and in the purchasing of my little medieval house, ownership was given to me. As part of my restoration works, this is to be walled up, closing off the passage and turning the corridor into an en-suite bathroom.
The gendarme knocked on my door to ask if I knew anything about this door. I explained yes, that I was the owner, that it went into my neighbours house and about its intended change of use. This made them very curious, and I was duly asked to unlock and show them. As a matter of respect, I don’t move beyond the corridor into my neighbours (of which that section is being used as a junk room). The gendarme on the other hand took the opportunity to mooch about. “C’est vraiment étrange” one of them kept saying. To which I would agree, the situation is truly strange. However, French paperwork was on my side, and I could show ownership of the corridor. They took a copy, and that ended that encounter.
Friendliness Begets
I have never understood a fear or nervousness around the police. Certainly there is cause for pause as their power in any situation is greater than mine. Eg, essentially the law is on their side. But, on the other hand, they are there to uphold the law, as well as act as peacekeepers. So as long as I have done nothing wrong…
And in the smaller French communities, they are certainly seen, and are seen to be helpful. Called upon in all sorts of situations, from the truly sad to the very light hearted. And since crime on the whole is not bad here in France, particularly in the more rural areas, they have more opportunity and time to focus on situations that warrant them. Which in my case seems to average about once a year as part of village life. I certainly have become more familiar with the police of France then any other country I have lived in. And I for one think this is a good thing.
More Findings from France
If you would like to explore more of what I discover living here in France, you will find lots in my French Findings. From how friendly are the French to the French ‘Non’, and of course that whole work-life-balance thing.
If your curiosity is peaked about restoring a home in France, check out my Restoration Home updates, and/or my Garden Restoration works.
If you like what you read, consider joining in and nourishing Pumpjack & Piddlewick.
And you will also find some of my French findings in My Shop. Here’s a sample:
Simply click on an image to see more.