A decree published this Friday in the Official Journal, authorises all municipal police officers in France to access the vehicle registration system – the SIV – and the national driving licence register – the FNPC. Until now, they had to constantly contact the gendarmerie or the police to identify the owner of a vehicle or check the status of a driver’s licence in the case of a traffic offence.
"You have to be patient… and the municipal police certainly are… We’ve been waiting for this legislation for nearly 20 years. It has finally been published in today’s Official Journal." comments Jean-Michel Weiss, one of the leading representatives of France’s municipal police force, whilst pointing out that "This decree must now be put into practice, and we hope that its implementation will be swift. The introduction of the Everyday Security Police, and the President’s comments regarding the involvement of municipal police officers in this"All PSQs must take the lead and drive forward the roll-out of this direct access".
"Little by little, the municipal police are coming into their own"
"In this age of digital development, we also need to be equipped with tablets so that we can carry out our duties on public roads."
"There is still a long way to go, but little by little, the Municipal Police are taking their rightful place within the public security sector. We will be discussing this matter at the next meeting of the Municipal Police Advisory Committee, to be held on 11 June in the presence of the Minister of State, Minister for the Interior."