Frederick Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 It seems the Police are a bit short on information as to who fired the shots at them during the last riots in Paris . They are now authorised to pay "A few Thousand Euros " to anonymous informers who write or phone in and tip them off who shot at them . I hope they get them... but I imagine their mail will be full of letters from jokers and vindictive so and so's with a grudge and they are going to be busy sorting it all out ...I know every community has a person who lets the Police know about the arrival of strangers etc ...and its been that way for years in France ....It took two years before I got a visit to find out who I was and what I was doing there so my village informer is a bit slow ..... must not have a phone and gets about with a zimmer frame perhaps ...wonder how much out of my tax euros goes in the local informer pot ? .......... Is it you and how much are you making ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you......................................[:D]Gary.....zéro,zéro,sept et demi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Is there some sort of monthly stipend going ....where do we sign ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 [quote user="Frederick"]It seems the Police are a bit short on information as to who fired the shots at them during the last riots in Paris . They are now authorised to pay "A few Thousand Euros " to anonymous informers who write or phone in and tip them off who shot at them...[/quote]Frederick, can you say where you read this? I have a special interest. No problem if it's in French. I can read French better than I can Google in it[:$]No one has ever come round out of the blue and checked me out, BTW.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Tresco ..........L' Humanite ...........before Xmas ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 [quote user="Frederick"]Tresco ..........L' Humanite ...........before Xmas ......[/quote]Was that online or in print? Come on Frederick, help me out here or I'll unleash a terrible Witchy Punishment on you.[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 No one has ever come round out of the blue and checked me out,Tesco, you may wish to reveiw this statement[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Sorry Tresco .......I have not the skills (yet ) to post articled here ...go on line to L' Humanite dated 17th December 2007 and look under the "Social " section and there you will find an article on the subject .....I wish I could just post the link for you...one day I might just find out how to do it ! Wooly .........When you get your visit have plenty of coffee ready .....I got three of them all in one hit ....based in Le Mans and posted to the Vendee for the summer .... Nice guys who even told me on the day they called to see me it was St Fredericks day ..........still dont know if they were taking the P1ss .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 And in the Uk there have been systems to pay informers/informants for many many years so nothing new in France at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 But the french aren't all pro-informers. Soon after we came here a neighbour reported us to the police for a misdemeanor. We found out who had done it and spoke to her - she said everyone around had told her she shouldn't have reported us, she was the only one who thought she should. So there's hope for human nature in rural France too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 [quote user="Frederick"]...I know every community has a person who lets the Police know about the arrival of strangers etc ...and its been that way for years in France ....It took two years before I got a visit to find out who I was and what I was doing there so my village informer is a bit slow ..... must not have a phone and gets about with a zimmer frame perhaps ...wonder how much out of my tax euros goes in the local informer pot ? .......... Is it you and how much are you making ? [/quote]The only visit we have had was just after my firearms were registered to check the security of my weapons storage. Have you visited the Marie and introduced yourselves ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Framboise Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 My husband informed that Mairie that we would be bringing out his rifles etc when we moved in properly, to which two burly coppers appeared at the house to have a "chat". Hubby showed them the secure cabinet he had already installed, bolted to the floor, numerous locks and keys on it, to which the bemused officer said "Pourquoi??". I guess that they would have been content with the guns propped in the corner of the room instead as th locals might do!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 We had been here two weeks when we were slightly surprised to see two Gendarmes hanging over our gate...They asked if OH was working for me (which he was, but not in the way they thought !) and when I explained that he was my partner and renovating our property they asked if we had a construction permit (which we did !) and then I was really surprised when they asked to see it.They then asked if the Mayor knew we were here (he did).So, if there is an informant (and I am not convinced there is by the way), ours is pretty well on the ball !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 Londoneye ....I think you will find that as France is such a huge rural area and the Gendarmes cant possibly cover everywhere as often as they would like they are happy to have a local to "chat " to and find out whats going on...I am not knocking it.... after all we have " Neighbourhood Watch " in the UK and when I am away from my French home if anybody not known was skulking about I would be delighted if our local Police contact kept his binocular lenses polished . I recall finding a guy inside my gates ....when he saw me he asked me if I wanted any work done ...within two days my neighbours knew who he was and where his caravan was parked up .and no doubt so did the Police . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Actually it didn't bother us anyway - as it happens we had nothing to hide, so where is the harm. Never seen them since though ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote user="Frederick"]Wooly .........When you get your visit have plenty of coffee ready .....I got three of them all in one hit ....based in Le Mans and posted to the Vendee for the summer .... Nice guys who even told me on the day they called to see me it was St Fredericks day ..........still dont know if they were taking the P1ss .......... [/quote]It wasn't July 18 was it?http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/prenom/1332/Frederic.htmlSue [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Nah - April ... ! (and no, not the first !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Yes Sue .....It was July and about then.....blimey....the Gendarmes are issued with the church diary ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote user="Frederick"].....blimey....the Gendarmes are issued with the church diary ? [/quote]I don't know about that as our neighbour is a pompier. He put me onto the site as it was my OH's birthday last Sunday and OH is called Roger and lo and behold last Sunday was St Roger's day!! The neighbour was intrigued with the coincidence as he knows we don't have Saints days in the same way in the UK - he knows 'cos I told him. So he wondered if OH's parents had chosen the name specially 'cos my OH's dad had a French name and possible French connections. But we have no real idea 'cos OH's dad departed the scene when OH was 18 months and not a peep was heard from his again and OH's mother is dead, so we cannot ask her.Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Does being a paid informer entitle you to enter the regime generale for healthcare as a government employee, do you think?[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Tittletattle pays then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 France has a culture that policies itself. Gendarmes are not really pro-active. It was the same in Spain during the Franco period. Denunciation is also a common form of both revenge and ingratiation. The Gendarmerie relies on information from locals since they do not fraternise themselves and are very separate from communities by design. It is not policing as you know it in the UK. They are part of the military complex and are not a civil service. Neither do they bare any relationship to your average community bobby in Britain. The French don’t really understand our Anglo-Saxon wish for personal privacy with our own affairs. They would likely suspect you have something to hide. Passing on information to the ‘authorities’ is common practice. The postmen are the worst offenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Your comparisons are naive Logan. Blair's Britain moved towards the European (French) model more than the average person will ever know admit (especially left of centre Guardian reading teachers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Not sure I understand your point WB. Do you mean policing in Britain has become similar to that of France? i.e.: Under the control of the Ministry of Defence with police officers required to live in compounds, separated from the communities they serve and dependant on paid informers. Or do schoolteachers who read the Guardian act as informers for the government? I am confused as well as quite possibly naïve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I mean in the extent to which people lives are controlled and surveyed and the extent to which we have now moved to a top down model for managing society. The whole of Europe seems to have gone this way by the way, with UK plc gleefully falling into line.And my understanding is that there is no right to personal privacy in UK or anywhere alse.Guardian reading schoolteachers often wear rose coloured spectacles. Which should confuse you further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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