Direction Régionale de Police Judiciaire de Paris
Encyclopedia
The Direction Régionale de Police Judiciaire de Paris (DRPJ Paris), often called the 36, quai des Orfèvres or simply the 36 by the address of its headquarters, is the division of the Police judiciaire in Paris
. Its 2,200 policemen investigate about 15,000 crimes and offences a year.
The Police judiciaire, abbreviated PJ, is the criminal investigation division of the Police nationale
.
36, quai des Orfèvres is often erroneously believed to be the address of the Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire, the national authority of the criminal police, which is actually located at the 11, rue des Saussaies, in the buildings of the Ministry of the Interior
.
, which was founded in 1812 by Eugène François Vidocq
as the criminal investigative bureau of the Paris police. The Sûreté served latter as an inspiration for Scotland Yard
, the FBI and other departments of criminal investigation throughout the world.
In its modern form, the parisian PJ was created by a decree by Celestin Hennion
, the then préfet de police and father of the elite mobile police units called Brigades du Tigres. Unique for their time, they were created with the support of Georges Clémenceau
, who was nicknamed "le tigre" (the Tiger). It explains why the PJ emblem consists of a stylized tiger's head.
The PJ should move to the Batignolles
neighborhood, in a new building due to be completed in 2015 and shared with the Tribunal de grande instance, Paris's main tribunal. However, the project is criticized because of its cost and the historic status of the 36.
, Seine-Saint-Denis
and Val-de-Marne
.
Under the direction and supervision of the judiciary
, it is responsible for the fight against criminality and delinquency and for the implementation of all technical, scientific and operational police resources needed for the inquiries. It investigates cases which involve a large scale of crimes and infractions like drug trafficking, prostitution, racketeering, kidnapping, organised crime (either criminal or financial activities), hostage taking, bomb attacks, sexual assaults, or homicides.
The Paris PJ services and units are:
The DPJ have the qualifications to investigate every kind of crime and infraction committed over their territory, while the central brigades take the most complex cases in their area of qualification and can operate anywhere.
Due to the lack of space, only a few services are still located in the historic building of the 36, quai des Orfèvres. Are there the état-major, the Brigade criminelle, the Brigade des stupéfiants and the BRI. The other brigades and services are spread in several buildings throughout Paris.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Its 2,200 policemen investigate about 15,000 crimes and offences a year.
The Police judiciaire, abbreviated PJ, is the criminal investigation division of the Police nationale
French National Police
The National Police , formerly the Sûreté Nationale, is one of two national police forces and the main civil law enforcement agency of France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. The other main agency is the military Gendarmerie, with primary jurisdiction in smaller towns and rural...
.
36, quai des Orfèvres is often erroneously believed to be the address of the Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire, the national authority of the criminal police, which is actually located at the 11, rue des Saussaies, in the buildings of the Ministry of the Interior
Minister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
.
History
The PJ is the direct successor of the SûretéSûreté
Sûreté is a term used in French speaking countries or regions in the organizational title of a civil police force, especially the detective branch thereof.-France:...
, which was founded in 1812 by Eugène François Vidocq
Eugène François Vidocq
Eugène François Vidocq was a French criminal and criminalist whose life story inspired several writers, including Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac...
as the criminal investigative bureau of the Paris police. The Sûreté served latter as an inspiration for Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, the FBI and other departments of criminal investigation throughout the world.
In its modern form, the parisian PJ was created by a decree by Celestin Hennion
Célestin Hennion
Célestin Hennion CVO was a French police officer who rose to head the Prefecture of Police . He is notable for his reorganisation of the Préfecture and the introduction of the Tiger's Brigades...
, the then préfet de police and father of the elite mobile police units called Brigades du Tigres. Unique for their time, they were created with the support of Georges Clémenceau
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
, who was nicknamed "le tigre" (the Tiger). It explains why the PJ emblem consists of a stylized tiger's head.
The PJ should move to the Batignolles
Batignolles
Batignolles is a neighborhood of Paris, a part of the 17th arrondissement of the city. The neighborhood is bounded on the south by the Boulevard des Batignolles, on the east by the Avenue de Clichy, on the north by the Rue Cardinet, and on the west by the Rue de Rome.-History:Batignolles was an...
neighborhood, in a new building due to be completed in 2015 and shared with the Tribunal de grande instance, Paris's main tribunal. However, the project is criticized because of its cost and the historic status of the 36.
Mandate
The Paris PJ comes under the control of the Préfecture de Police and operates over its territorial jurisdiction, which includes the city of Paris but also the three adjacent departments of Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
, Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
and Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
.
Under the direction and supervision of the judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, it is responsible for the fight against criminality and delinquency and for the implementation of all technical, scientific and operational police resources needed for the inquiries. It investigates cases which involve a large scale of crimes and infractions like drug trafficking, prostitution, racketeering, kidnapping, organised crime (either criminal or financial activities), hostage taking, bomb attacks, sexual assaults, or homicides.
Organization
- the état-major with the director and its collaborators;
- the division of the six brigades centrales (central brigades):
- the Brigade criminelle (criminal brigade - B.C. aka "la Crim'"), the oldest and perhaps most famous, especially in charge of homicides, kidnapping, bomb attacks and investigations involving personalities;
- the Brigade de recherche et d'interventionBrigade de recherche et d'interventionThe Brigades de Recherche et d'Intervention , often called "Anti-Gang Brigades", are elite police specials units of the French Ministry of the Interior ....
(research and intervention brigade - B.R.I. aka "l'Antigang"), an elite special intervention unit specialized in hostage taking, very serious cases of armed robbery and catching dangerous gangsters; - the Brigade de répression du banditismeBrigade de répression du banditismeThe Brigade de Répression du Banditisme of Paris is an elite special police unit of the French Ministry of the Interior . It is in charge of armed robberies, burglaries and scams, and art thefts...
(banditry repression brigade - B.R.B.), mainly in charge of serious street infractions (bag snatching, burglary...), hold-ups and armed mugging but also of art trafficking and car robbery and traffcking; - the Brigade des stupéfiants (drugs brigade - B.S. aka "les Stups"), specialized in drug trafficking;
- the Brigade de protection des mineurs (underages protection brigade - B.P.M. aka "les Mineurs"), in charge of all infractions with victims under 18;
- the Brigade de répression du proxénétisme (procuring repression brigade - B.R.P. aka "la Mondaine") specialized in the surveillance of prostitution and the fight against procuring;
- the division of the territorial districts (Divisions de police judiciaire or DPJ):
- 1ère DPJ (1st DPJ) with jurisdiction over the Center and West of Paris (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th arrondissementsArrondissements of ParisThe city of Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements municipaux administrative districts, more simply referred to as arrondissements . These are not to be confused with departmental arrondissements, which subdivide the 101 French départements...
); - 2ème DPJ (2nd DPJ) with jurisdiction over the North and East of Paris (10th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th, 20th arrondissementsArrondissements of ParisThe city of Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements municipaux administrative districts, more simply referred to as arrondissements . These are not to be confused with departmental arrondissements, which subdivide the 101 French départements...
); - 3ème DPJ (3rd DPJ) with jurisdiction over the South of Paris (5th, 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 15th arrondissementsArrondissements of ParisThe city of Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements municipaux administrative districts, more simply referred to as arrondissements . These are not to be confused with departmental arrondissements, which subdivide the 101 French départements...
); - SDPJ of Hauts-de-Seine;
- SDPJ of Seine-Saint-Denis;
- SDPJ of Val-de-Marne;
- 1ère DPJ (1st DPJ) with jurisdiction over the Center and West of Paris (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th arrondissements
- the economic and financial affairs division:
- the Brigade financière (financial brigade), in charge of financial criminality;
- the Brigade de répression de la délinquance astucieuse (clever delinquency repression brigade);
- the Brigade des fraudes aux moyens de paiement (method of payment frauds brigade);
- the Brigade de répression de la délinquance économique (economic delinquency repression brigade);
- the Brigade d'enquête sur les fraudes aux technologies de l'information (IT frauds inquiry brigade);
- the Brigade de recherches et d'investigations financières (financial researchs and investigations brigade);
- the investigation support division, which includes notably the Identité judiciaire (judicial identity) in charge of all the technical and scientific analyses.
The DPJ have the qualifications to investigate every kind of crime and infraction committed over their territory, while the central brigades take the most complex cases in their area of qualification and can operate anywhere.
Due to the lack of space, only a few services are still located in the historic building of the 36, quai des Orfèvres. Are there the état-major, the Brigade criminelle, the Brigade des stupéfiants and the BRI. The other brigades and services are spread in several buildings throughout Paris.
In fiction and films
Because of its history and its iconic status within the French police, the 36 and its services have often been described in novels, films and TV series.- Commissaire MaigretMaigretJules Maigret, Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a fictional police detective, actually a commissaire or commissioner of the Paris "Brigade Criminelle" , created by writer Georges Simenon.Seventy-five novels and twenty-eight short stories about Maigret were published between 1931 and...
, a fictional police detective created by Belgian writer Georges SimenonGeorges SimenonGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
was based at the Quai des Orfèvres. - 36, Quai des Orfèvres also figures in the novel Long LostLong LostLong Lost is a novel by American writer Harlan Coben. It is the ninth novel in his series of a crime solver and sports agent named Myron Bolitar.-Plot:...
by Harlan CobenHarlan CobenHarlan Coben is an American author of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past and often have multiple plot twists...
. - 36, Quai des Orfèvres36 Quai des Orfèvres (film)36 Quai des Orfèvres is a 2004 French film directed by Olivier Marchal and starring Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu. The film takes place in Paris, where two cops are competing for the vacant seat of Chief of Police while involved in a search for a gang of violent thieves...
is a 2004 film by Olivier MarchalOlivier MarchalOlivier Marchal is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and a former policeman. In 2005, he was nominated for three César Awards , for his film 36 Quai des Orfèvres....
, starring Daniel AuteuilDaniel AuteuilDaniel Auteuil is a French film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Algiers, French Algeria.-Career:...
, Gérard DepardieuGérard DepardieuGérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
and André DussollierAndré DussollierAndré Dussollier is a French actor.-Filmography:* 1970 : Ils, directed by Jean-Daniel Simon* 1972 : Les Chemins de pierre, directed by Joseph Drimal...
. - The police drama series SpiralSpiral (TV series)Engrenages is a French television police drama series created by the TV production company Son et Lumière. It is marketed in the English speaking world as Spiral. The first eight episodes series started on Canal+ in France on 13 December 2005...
follows, among other actors of the Palais de justicePalais de Justice, ParisThe Palais de Justice , located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France, is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains. Thus the justice of the state has been dispensed at this site since medieval times...
, the work and life of three PJ officers.