(Police et Gendarmerie Francaises), French police serving in both occupied and unoccupied (Vichy) France. The entire French police force, about 100,000 police officers, acted under the authority of the Vichy government. In the fall of 1941 a special police section was established to deal with Jewish matters. It was supervised by the Vichy government's Office for Jewish Affairs.
The French police cooperated with the German occupiers. They were responsible to maintain public order, stop crime, and implement anti-Jewish policy. In July 1942 they helped round up thousands of Jews in Paris; some Jews were saved after humane police officers warned them of the imminent arrests. During 1943 the French police registered Jews for Deportation, confiscated their property, made mass arrests, and forced the Jews to wear the Jewish badge (see also Badge, Jewish) and get their identity cards stamped with the word "Juif" (Jew). The police also built and operated French Concentration Camps and accompanied transports of Jews to the German border.
In the summer of 1943 Partisan groups intensified their activities against the German occupiers and French police. The police eventually stopped arresting Jews, and the French administration at the Drancy camp was replaced by the Gestapo. From then on, the Germans and the French fascist militia carried out operations against the Jews. (For more on Vichy, see also France.
