• Saturday, 06 July 2024

Macron wants curbs on police power after allegations of violence

Macron wants curbs on police power after allegations of violence
Paris, 14 September 2021 (dpa/MIA) - Following recurring reports of excessive police violence in France, President Emmanuel Macron has announced stronger checks on the powers of police officers. A supervisory body is to be created at parliamentary level, Macron said in Roubaix on Tuesday. In addition, internal police investigations should be made public in the future. Instead of a general suspicion, there should be transparency, he added. And if there are problems, they must have consequences. By the end of next year, all police officers are to be equipped with body cameras for filming sensitive operations. This would promote de-escalation and serve possible later investigations, Macron said. A nationwide anti-discrimination platform launched in February had already received 7,564 complaints, but only 4 per cent concerned the police, he said. "We don't have to fear increased transparency," Macron stressed. After analysing the situation of the French police, Macron outlined a comprehensive police reform in Roubaix. Less bureaucracy and more efficient processes, better equipment and training, and twice as many officers on the streets within 10 years were some of the key recommendations. Meanwhile, the human rights organization Amnesty International accused the French police of unnecessary use of force. Specifically, the group highlighted an illegal music festival that was broken up in the summer, during which participants, but also police officers, were injured. Amnesty said on Tuesday that structural reforms were necessary and that such police violence could not become the norm. An independent complaints body is needed, it said. Macron's promise of better control of police work did not specifically mention an independent complaints body.