PARIS (Reuters) – France’s highest administrative court ruled on Wednesday that police officers must clearly display their identification number badge, which advocates hope will improve investigations into police violence.
The French government has come under increasing scrutiny for heavy-handed police tactics during protests, such as earlier this year after the police shooting of Nahel, a teenager of North African descent, and during the Yellow Vest movement.
Police officers’ number badge, known as a RIO, should be made bigger so it is readable, especially when officers intervene in large gatherings, the Conseil d’Etat decision said.
The four human rights organisations and legal professionals unions that filed the case say investigations into police violence often lead nowhere due to the inability to identify officers, encouraging a culture of impunity.
Although wearing the RIO has been a legal obligation since 2013, it is often too small, not clearly displayed or completely hidden, the organisations say.
The authorities must comply with the court decision within 12 months.
On Tuesday, the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe human rights body expressed concern about the high number of injuries during French protests and called for reform of the country’s police inspectorate bodies.
The resolution noted that judicial proceedings against officers for violence take a long time or are dismissed, often because of a lack of identification, and that there is a lack of transparency on the number of police officers sanctioned.
(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Editing by Toby Chopra)
