INFO EUROPE 1
Police overheating in 2019. While millions of people marched this weekend around the world against police violence, Europe 1 and AFP revealed on Monday morning that never before the investigators of the Inspection General of the National Police (IGNP) were not asked as much as last year, to shed light on police interventions.
A total of 1,460 judicial investigations were opened last year, compared to 1,180 procedures in 2018, an increase of 23.7% in a year 2019 marked by numerous law enforcement operations during weekends. ends of demonstration of "yellow vests" and the movement of high school students.
+ 41.8% of investigations into intentional violence
Among all these investigations, 868 concerned suspicions of intentional violence committed by the police, i.e. 41.8% more than in 2018, according to the IGPN annual report. The majority of these alleged acts of violence concerned police interventions on the public highway during the numerous demonstrations that took place in 2019. Should we conclude that the police were excessively violent? Not necessarily. Only the follow-up given by the justice to these investigations will say it, the IGPN which carries out the investigations at the request of the magistrates is not systematically informed of the outcome of the procedures.
One thing is certain, this explosion in the number of investigations is also the result of an increased vigilance of the prosecutors who seized the IGPN at the slightest doubt on the action of the police, including on facts which did not cause serious injury.
Fewer injuries and fewer LBD shots
Unlike the explosion in the volume of investigations into willful violence, the number of people injured during police interventions fell by 30.7% in 2019 compared to 2018, going from 169 to 117 people who had had a higher ITT or equal to nine days, says the IGPN report, without foreshadowing the responsibility of the police in these injuries. Ditto for the number of people who died "during a police mission": 19 in 2019 (compared to 17 in 2018).
Regarding the use of weapons, the police used their service weapon as much in 2019 as in the previous year, half of the shots were aimed at vehicles or drivers who charged at police officers. On the other hand, despite the large number of law enforcement operations during demonstrations, the police used their so-called "intermediary" weapons much less. The number of shots for the defense ball launcher (LBD) decreased by 43% in 2019 (10,785 shots recorded), whereas it had increased by 200% in 2018.
Same trend for the use of hand-held grenades for de-encirclement (GMD), the use of which fell by 40% last year (3,244 grenades launched). These two phenomena can be linked to the media coverage of certain injuries caused by these weapons and to reminders of the instructions for use. However, the IGPN's annual report stresses that "the most damaging weapon is undoubtedly the defense ball launcher", which caused a serious injury for an average of 337 shots, that is to say 32 people seriously injured in a eye or face in 2019.
30 investigations for racism or discrimination ...
The figure does not appear in the annual report but according to information collected by Europe 1 from the IGPN, 30 judicial investigations were opened last year for allegations of racism or discrimination involving police officers, compared to 46 procedures in 2018, confirming the information from the JDD.
... and 39 police officers struck off
In addition to the judicial investigations, the IGPN also carried out 238 internal administrative investigations which brought to light 630 professional and ethical breaches by police officers for disproportionate use of force or breaches of the duty of exemplarity, in particular. In total, the police administration issued 1,678 disciplinary sanctions, ranging from a warning to striking off for 39 police officers (compared to 100 struck off in 2018).
The success of the reporting platform
The IGPN can also be contacted by any citizen, either directly from its delegations, or by post, telephone or via its online reporting platform. The latter recorded 4,792 reports last year, or 22.3% more than in 2018. An increase to "put in direct relation with the movement of 'yellow vests' and high school students," said the annual report.
At the forefront of the grievances expressed by the complainants: behaviors deemed violent or brutal by the police (32%), disrespect or courtesy (20%) or refusal to take a complaint (15%). After verification by the IGPN, these reports gave rise to 629 administrative investigations which effectively pointed to faults concerning 72 police officers, including 5 for disproportionate use of force.