The book first surveys the current organization of the French government and its dual police system, emphasizing that nearly all police officers in France are virtually independent of local political control and are commanded at the highest levels by civilians rather then police officers. The development of local and national police organizations is traced through the ancien regime, the Revolution, and Napoleonic era, the political upraisings and wars of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the election of Francois Mitterand. The police system developed by Napoleon in his efforts to centralize the state is still the basic police system of France. Major developments of the 19th century were the evolution of the uniformed police and the detective organization of the Paris police known as the Surete, while features of the 1900-45 period included the Surete's regional crime squads implemented to cope with a serious increase in crime and initiation of counterintelligence and espionage activities. Problems faced by the police following World War II are discussed, including the Algerian dilemma and terrorism, the Ben Barka Scandal, and DeGaulle's consequent reorganization of the Police Nationale. While the election of Mitterand in 1981 brought no radical revision of the police system, some changes have occurred such as accepting women for regular appointments to police agencies. The final chapters outline the contemporary organization of the Gendarmerie and the Police Nationale, noting differences and sources of friction. Recruitment and training are discussed, as are the powers of various ranks of police officers and relationships between the police and other components of the criminal justice system. About 140 references and an index are supplied.