A brief historical review of France indicates that its police system has been shaped by the past. The police structure under the ancient regime, and its reestablishment by Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon III, led to the development of a centralized and highly pervasive system. Occupation during the Second World War system together with post war reorganization increased centralization and extended the public order role of the police. The current system is divided into the militarized and highly disciplined gendarmerie national and the larger, police nationale. With its personnel housed in barracks, the former force characterizes the police-public relations as a reactive force separate from the public. Despite recent attempts to involve the police in community-based initiatives, the police force of France is still characterized as a political agency rather than a public one.