Police Officers Reveal Widespread Racism in French Law Enforcement

Franceinfo collected the testimony of four anonymous French police officers. "Racist remarks, it’s all the time. Every day. Quickly, I realized that it was a racist environment. During the confinement, we were carrying out checks on travel permits in vehicles. Often, my colleagues excused the white people, the young women, who did not have their permit. But the ’colored’ people were fined. For them, it’s natural," says a police officer who has been on the job for 20 years in southwestern France.

"I remember a colleague during vehicle checks. He sees two Maghrebians pass by. He tells me, in front of everyone: ’stop the two fellagas, the two fellouzes’. That marked me," says another law enforcement member. A police officer in the Paris region confesses to having already spotted "African or Arab people with multiple fractures and bruises" after a custody, while "they were in good health the day before."

"Some colleagues were delighted by the Christchurch massacre in New Zealand, finding the terrorist’s motivation legitimate. During checks, they call certain people ’dirty races’, ’bastards’, ’rats’. They do it when they are in the majority or when the person is isolated and cannot defend themselves," he adds.

In his testimony, a fourth police officer believes that it is difficult to change mentalities. "A colleague was ousted after six months because he did not tolerate the practices of the BAC. Muscular identity checks, racist remarks, blows inflicted on Blacks and Arabs... He wanted to talk to his superiors, he was immediately sidelined. And this sidelining is accompanied by harassment," he says. According to him, speaking out is frowned upon, one is treated as a snitch, or even threatened or excluded.

"It’s shameful to say that racism does not exist in the police, when everyone knows it, sees it and suffers from it. Citizens as well as police officers," he concludes.