Security Guards of the City of Paris: In Search of Legitimacy in Order Maintenance

This article analyses the role of the security guards of the City of Paris. Despite Paris’ political uniqueness, traditionally marked by a strong influence of central government, the city employs agents emblematic of the process of pluralisation of policing. The paper focuses on the identity of these actors, the nature of their work and the ways they accomplish it, as well as on their integration into the wider field of the production of local order. It questions their practices of using verbal outcomes and the achievement of security in municipal areas. It also dissects the components of a negative professional identity which suffuses their work experiences.