The Musée de la Préfecture de Police is located in a police station in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The museum was established in 1909 at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department on the banks of the Seine on the initiative of Louis Lépine, the police commissioner at the time, and moved to its current location in 1975.
Admission is free, but advance reservations are required. In addition to free tours, guided tours and explanatory and hands-on sessions on various themes are available. Themes include forensic technology, oral portraits, and forensic science, and there is also a theme for children called “Research on Fingerprints,” which all sound interesting.
Since it is located in a police station building, I thought that the security to enter the building would be very strict, but it was quite normal. I did not have to show any identification, only a simple physical and luggage inspection. Once inside the building, a staff member escorted us to the floor where the museum is located. I left my luggage in a locker and watched the exhibitions until a guide arrived. At this time, we were introduced to the seven representative central units under the Paris Judiciary Police.
The BRI is responsible for the arrest of violent criminals and counterterrorism operations, such as the raid on the Bataclan Theater during the Paris terrorist attacks in 2015. The BRI has been involved in operations such as the raid on the Bataclan Theater during the Paris attacks in 2015.
When I finished looking at the special exhibitions, a guide appeared and started the tour. I participated in the “Permanent Exhibition Guided Tour. The guide’s knowledge was so deep that I was a little overwhelmed by his passionate talk, and we learned about the history of the Paris police since the 17th century, famous criminal cases and conspiracies that caused a commotion in Paris, changes in police uniforms from the 18th century to the present, and developments in police science such as fingerprint identification and photo search. The tour was a very fulfilling one and a half hour tour that lasted two hours.
There were many “realistic case documents” such as investigative materials from the time, actual murder weapons, old prison doors, and guillotines actually used in Paris that I looked at with frowns on my brow.
It is a very interesting place for those who are interested in Parisian criminal investigations and the history of Parisian security. It is an area of tourist attractions, so if you have a chance, please go there.
© Source travel watch