The intensity of the debates reflects the attempts on the part of traditional parties to mobilize their supporters on the issues and the campaign of the National Front to link crime and immigration, but also reveals the institutional and political divisions within the police and judicial professions. The Socialists, who initiated a whole program of reforms in 1981, seem to have modernized structures, modified ethics, and thus shifted the parameters of policymaking on both civil liberties and law and order, but some traditional problems remain unsolved. The traditional divisions between police and judicial institutional or professional bodies continue to hamper the performance of the law and order services and to undermine their public image. 1 table and 9 references (Author abstract modified)