The dark side of the police

An inspector at 36 Quai des Orfèvres and a specialist in combating drug trafficking in Marseille, Jean-Pierre Colombiès is now a well-known figure in street-level policing—some might say he has become “the police’s media loudmouth.” In this book, he methodically confronts his unshakeable faith in the institution with the proven abuses of the “Big Shop.” He recounts those moments when, to “make a killing,” he was asked to peddle heroin to those who might help him make a big bust—in other words, those moments when the state asked him to become a dealer to catch dealers. He describes those moments when the police are encouraged to “meet quotas” by making indiscriminate arrests rather than intervening judiciously. He reveals the influence of corrupt networks that rule the roost within the institution, promoting incompetents or protecting deviant officers. He denounces the tyranny of statistics that guide officials at the expense of service to the public. He shows how “law enforcement” can be called upon to “crack down on citizens” to set an example—yes, even in France. And, regrettably, he highlights how much both hatred of the police and the blunders of the more or less “big bosses” at the top can render ineffective the efforts of officers committed every day to serving the public.