Médaille d'honneur de la Police nationale

Médaille d’honneur de la Police nationale
Obverse of the Medal
Awarded by Ministère de l'Intérieur
Country	France
Type	Honor Medal
Statistics
Established	3 April 1903
Ribbon Bar of the Medal

The Médaille d’honneur de la Police nationale (Honor Medal of the National Police) is the highest award of the French National Police, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.

History

Created by the Decree of April 3, 1903, at the request of Monsieur Émile Combes, Minister of the Interior, the medal was originally called the Médaille d’honneur de la Police Municipale et Rurale. The decree of November 17, 1936 which will give the name of Médaille d’honneur de la Police française. Finally, Decree No. 96-342 of 22 April 1996 the medal it its current name of Médaille d’honneur de la Police nationale.

The decree of February 4, 1905 allowed its award upon application to the Governor-General of Algeria, to officiers of the Police Municipale et Rurale posted in Algeria for those who had at least 20 years of impeccable service.

The award was extended in 1972, to administrative staff and senior officers of the National Police.

Eligibility

The medal is awarded under the following conditions:

• for officers, 20 years service, at least 8 years in the police;

• for administrative staff, 25 years of civil and military service.

The officers may use up to 10 years of services performed in the military beyond the statutory period, the Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, Paris Fire Brigade, Marine Fire Brigade of Marseille, customs guards and forestry officers. Military service, war service, and recognized resistance are fully taken into account.

This award may be given posthumously. It may also be awarded for exceptional cases resulting in death or injury of an officer in line of duty. Seniority is not a factor in an award under these circumstances and the medal ribbon is adorned then a silver star.

It is awarded in December of each year by decree of the Minister of the Interior, after consultation with the Director General of Police, upon proposal of the prefect or representative of the state in overseas territories . The decree of December 21, 1999 are allowed to award security assistants.

Description of the Medal

Ribbon has a total width is 30 mm with an 8 mm Blue stripe separated by two 6 mm red stripes lateral by two 5 mm white stripes.

Clasps for the ribbon of the Medal of Honour of the Municipal and Rural Police in Algeria included a clip consisting of a star placed on a crescent of Islam. Today, the ribbon of the Medal of Honour Police wear a silver star when it is awarded in exceptional circumstances.

Medal is Round silver, 27 mm diameter engraved by Marie Alexander COUDRAY.

• Obverse pictures a helmeted woman with a sword and a shield, protecting a mother and her child. On the left side, the inscription POLICE FRANCAISE.

• Reverse the contains the legend RREPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE, surrounding the center of the medal which reads MINISTÈRE DE L’INTÉRIEUR.

The pendant ring is composed of an olive branch and an oak branch, forming an open crown.

The Medal instituted in 1903, differed from it only by the inscription on the obverse: POLICE MUNICIPALE ET RURALE instead POLICE FRANCAISE.

See also

• Ribbons of the French military and civil awards

References

• http://www.france-phaleristique.com/police.htm
• http://www.entente-combattants-herault.com/decorations.html