# Law Enforcement in France Law enforcement in the French Republic is structured through a centralized national framework, supplemented by increasingly significant local components. ## National Police Forces The state maintains two primary national law enforcement agencies, each with distinct jurisdictions and traditions: * **Police Nationale:** A civilian force under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. It operates primarily in urban areas and large cities. * **Gendarmerie Nationale:** A military force under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior (for operational duties) and the Ministry of Armed Forces. It is responsible for policing smaller towns, rural areas, and military installations. ## Local Law Enforcement While the primary authority remains centralized, recent legislation has empowered local governments (communes) to establish their own municipal forces: * **Police Municipale:** These officers are recruited and managed by local mayors. Their duties generally focus on the enforcement of local bylaws, traffic management, and maintaining public order at the communal level. Unlike the national forces, their jurisdiction is strictly limited to the boundaries of the municipality they serve.