The Honour medal of the National Police (or Médaille d’honneur de la Police nationale) is the highest award of the French National Police, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.
Created by the Decree of 3 April 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” (“Honour medal of the rural and municipal police“). The decree of 17 November 1936 will rename it the “Médaille d’honneur de la Police française” (“French Police honour medal“). Finally, Decree No. 96-342 of 22 April 1996 will give the medal its current designation.
The award was extended in 1972, to administrative staff and senior officers of the National Police. The medal is awarded under the following conditions:
- to police officers, for 20 years of service;
- to members of the administrative staff, for 25 years of combined civil and military service.
The award may be bestowed posthumously regardless of time of service. It may also be awarded in exceptional cases for acts of courage or exceptional service to the police force by national or foreign police officers regardless of time of service. Under these circumstances, the medal ribbon is adorned with a five-pointed silver star.
The Honour Medal of the National Police Design
The Honour medal of the National Police, a design of engraver Marie Alexander Coudray, is a 27mm in diameter circular silver medal.
The obverse bears the relief image of the protecting Republic, in the form of a standing helmeted woman holding a sword and a shield, protecting a kneeling woman pulling a frightened child to her, behind them a tree. Along the right circumference, the semi circular relief inscription “POLICE FRANÇAISE” (“FRENCH POLICE”).
The reverse bears at its bottom a framed rectangular area destined to receive the name of the recipient and year of the award. Along the upper medal circumference, the relief inscription “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” (“FRENCH REPUBLIC”), at its center, the inscription “MINISTÈRE DE L’INTÉRIEUR” (“INTERIOR MINISTRY”).
The medal hangs from a 3cm wide silk moiré tricolor ribbon with an 8mm wide central blue stripe bordered by 6mm wide white stripes and 5mm red stripes at its edges. The ribbon’s suspension loop is adorned with a crown composed of an olive branch and a sprig of oak with an opening on the right.
The Honour medal of the rural and municipal police in Algeria included a clasp on the ribbon consisting of a star placed on a crescent of Islam. Today, the only ribbon device is in the form of a silver five pointed star when the medal is awarded in exceptional circumstances.
