Sebastian Roché, a CNRS researcher and specialist in police-population relations, was thanked by the National School of Police, where he had been active for 26 years.

A sociologist, who criticized the management of law enforcement during the "yellow vests" crisis, was withdrawn from the National School of Police (ENSP), the school of commissioners where he intervened since 1993, AFP learned Wednesday.

A course on "the analysis of insecurity"

Sebastian Roché, CNRS researcher and specialist in police-population reports, was informed by the NPHS management that he would no longer teach there because of "a revision of the guidelines and some educational contents", according to a mail dated August 20, consulted by AFP and revealed by Le Parisien et Libération . His course dedicated to "The analysis of insecurity" was entrusted "to another qualified speaker, in this case to a doctor of the national police", according to this letter, punctuated by "keen thanks".

This new speaker has "not yet been recruited" and "Mr. Roché can very well make new requests for intervention from November," told AFP the communication service of the National Police (Sicop), according to who, "in a high-level training, the lessons are brought to evolve regularly".

Sebastian Roché evokes "a political decision"

Sebastian Roché evokes, him, "a political decision". "This shows the difficulty of the police to open up to society at a time when it is curling more and more on itself, to his detriment," he told AFP.

For several months, the sociologist has questioned in the media and on social networks the strategy of policing during the crisis of "yellow vests", responsible in his opinion the many wounded among the demonstrators. The researcher, author of The Police in Democracy , also called to stop the use of the launcher of defense bullets (LBD), accused of causing about twenty eborgnements, and denounced "police violence", a term recused by the government.

Last week, however, the head of state Emmanuel Macron called for "rethinking some methods of intervention" in view of the "unacceptable wounds" in police and demonstrators. The sociologist also pointed to the lack of independence of the Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN), in charge of controlling the actions of the police and whose direction is appointed by the Ministry of the Interior.

Founded in 1941, the ENSP, located in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or near Lyon, provides initial and ongoing training of commissioners of the National Police, who alternate theoretical courses and internships in different departments.