PART 1

First and foremost, we need to define what the word police meant in 17th-century France, which was not the same as today. Today, the word police is pretty much restricted to an institution or institution that has the missions to serve and protect and repression/control of the population. In 17th-century French and before, police and the verb to police was closer to rule, manage or run in a political sense. The 1606 Thresor de la langue française defines police as the act to rule the res publica (the public affairs, the common good of a society) and also as the rules and regulations of a state or community. In fact, the 17th-century word still had that relation to the Greek polis where government and order are closely tied to each other. The Encyclopédie written 150 years later shows us that the term had not changed that much yet, the changes would take place later in the 19th-century where the link to the Ancient polis slowly disappeared. As such, what Louis XIV established in 1667, transforming what previously existed, is not truly modern although it is the foundations of what would become a police force as we know it. Some of La Reynie and his successors missions are not foreign to us: population control, repression and political control, public order, censorship but also helping people, solving disputes, …etc. One of the most fundamental differences is that the 1667 police was created to "help" rule the city of Paris and the police can be said to be modern (one of the reasons) in that it is a new way for the royal power to get a hand on Paris, Louis' capital city which like everything else he wanted to control and shape to his image.

How were the police there to participate to running Paris? In the two previous links to definitions of police, it says that alongside its other more familiar prerogatives its role was to supervise the supplies of Paris in all things (food first, but also various products such as clothing, firewood, wares …etc.) and ensure that everyone can live safely. The royal edict is also quite clear as to what the Lieutenance tasks were : supplies, weapon control, crowds and groups, public order, vices, religion, road network, public health and hygiene, trades. In short, the police could play a role in every aspect of the city life and also be involved in almost every administration of Paris.

Why? As you may or may not know, the relationship between the monarchy and Paris could be cordial but sometimes somewhat awkward or hostile. The memories of the Fronde were very much present in the minds of Louis XIV and Colbert (the mastermind behind the thinking of the Lieutenance) and its influence on the king should not be minimized. Also, there is a legacy of constant increase (or attempts) of the royal power since the last century that Louis inherited. These elements are important because it explains why the king wanted to increase his control over the capital just like over other sources of power such as the nobility for example. Paris was a city extremely jealous of its privileges inherited from its medieval charter and centuries of more or less happy relationship with the kings. Before 1667, three principal bodies were in charge of what Louis tasked the Lieutenance to do. The Parliament of Paris, the prévôté et vicomté (like a representative of the royal power who seats in the Châtelet, a castle) and the prévôt des marchands (who could almost be defined as a sort of mayor and representative of the urban society).

They did not always work well together. Like in many other aspects of the Ancien Régime, there were conflicts and unclear prerogatives as to whom had the right to judge, sentence, control whom and what. The prévôt of Paris, as a royal officer, was often in conflict with urban authorities. Among other things, this meant that public order was extremely low in Paris, there were daily murders, numerous burglaries and fights. At the same time the city was going through a demographic crisis (overpopulation) leading to sanitary concerns. Many Parisians complained of the situation and Louis XIV had a good reason to act. This was a perfect situation to increase royal control over Paris. What he did in 1667 was to centralize the policing matters into one new institution. Instead of having several (it would require a longer and more difficult explanation to detail the Lieutenant civil, the Hôtel-de-Ville, …etc.) there would be one that answers to the king.

Legally, La Reynie was not granted extreme power. There still were issues with other institutions on some matters but therefore we can call this reform the creation of modern police. One institution with a skilled man at its head, that is entirely dedicated to policing. Also, what it means is that it grants a greater influence on the king over the population. In a mix of Christian ideals and Roman legacy of imperial control, French kings slowly increased their meddling with everyday life of their subjects through edicts (sometimes on small matters) and acts at the expense of lords, religious and urban authorities. In reality, the year 1667 does not change much to how the police worked on the field as most changes would happen in the next century, but it is a huge and so far, a unique political change for the Royal State, drastically increasing the bureaucracy and its influence on the capital.

You asked what the tasks of La Reynie's police were. In a few words, they worked for the Common Good of an ordered society. Practically it means that they had many different missions. Some of their most important tasks was to make sure the city was well supplied. The police would verify prices, the quality and the various terms of sales (ingredients of bread for example), they would watch over the stocks of grain, especially the corn exchange built in the second half of the 18-century. The Lieutenance was involved in the plans to build the corn exchange to gather the merchants as much as possible in one (circular) place. Still, the police did not have the mean nor the will to entirely transform the exchanges between merchants and customers. I am not saying that everything was transferred in the Halles. Regarding the urban space, one of the key mission of the police was to prevent fires and other hazards. They would enforce the ban to work at night (because of the candles) in the buildings still made from wood or prohibited people from having objects such as pots on their windows for example. They also inspected buildings and could write reports to have them demolished if considered dangerous (to prevent collapses). Nicolas Vidoni (see sources below) listed 3 records written by commissaires concerning dangerous buildings in 1699 and 109 in 1767. The Lieutenance was also key in providing instructions and councils to urban planners (paving the roads, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the street cleaners, keeping the streets accessible to both pedestrians and carriages. Antoine de Sartine, Lieutenant Général from 1759 to 1774, was very keen on keeping the streets as clean as possible for hygiene concerns but also lighted to discourage potential thieves (this especially in the wealthier neighbourhoods).