The Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence, DCRI) is a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 intelligence agency

Intelligence agency

An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...

 which reports directly to 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...

. It became officially operational on 1 July 2008, through the merging of the Direction centrale des renseignements généraux

Direction centrale des renseignements généraux

The Direction Centrale des Renseignements Généraux , often called Renseignements Généraux , was the intelligence service of the French police, answerable to the Direction Générale de la Police Nationale , and, ultimately, the Ministry of the Interior...

and the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire

Direction de la surveillance du territoire

The Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire was a directorate of the French National Police operating as a domestic intelligence agency. It was responsible for counterespionage, counterterrorism and more generally the security of France against foreign threats and interference...

of the French National Police

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...

.


The DCRI is headed by Bernard Squarcini

Bernard Squarcini

Bernard Squarcini, born on 12 December 1955 in Rabat, Morocco, is the current head of the Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur , France's counter-espionage and counter-terrorism Intelligence agency....

. It is organised with a headquarters and eight departments:

• Economic Protection (Gilles Gray),
• Terrorism (Michel Guerin),
• Intelligence Technologies (Michel Pages),
• Violent Subversion (Françoise Bilancini),
• General Administration (Thierry Matta),
• Support (Jean-François Lelievre),
• Counter-Espionnage (Jean Petronille),
• International Affairs (Eric Toucas).

The functions of the DCRI are:

• counter-espionage
  Counter-Espionage
  -Cast:* Warren William as Michael Lanyard* Eric Blore as Jamison* Hillary Brooke as Pamela Hart* Thurston Hall as Insp. Crane* Fred Kelsey as Detective Wesley Dickens* Forrest Tucker as Anton Schugg* Matthew Boulton as Inspector J...
  
  
• counter-terrorism
  Counter-terrorism
  Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
  
  
• countering cybercrime
  CyberCrime
  CyberCrime was an innovative, weekly America television program on TechTV that focused on the dangers facing computer users. Filmed in San Francisco, California, the show was hosted by Alex Wellen and Jennifer London...
  
  
• surveillance of potentially threatening groups, organisations and social phenomena.
  

External links

• Official announcement of the agency's launch on the website of the French Ministry of the Interior.