departments, known as the Petite Couronne ("Small Crown"): Hauts-de-Seine to the west, Seine-Saint-Denis to the northeast and Val-de-Marne to the southeast. These departments are administered by an additional separate unitary prefecture for law enforcement and security purposes, a Prefecture of Police (), known as the Paris Police Prefecture, a situation inherited from the Paris Commune of 1871. The power of law enforcement is usually invested in the mayor in other communes. This power is held by the Prefect of Police of Paris in the Petite Couronne. In 2012, a similar structure was established in Bouches-du-Rhône, the Bouches-du-Rhône Police Prefecture, headed by the Prefect of Police of Bouches-du-Rhône, although it is formally less independent than that of Paris. Divisions of departments Departments are divided into arrondissements, themselves divided into cantons. The chef-lieu d'arrondissement is the subprefecture (). The official in charge is the subprefect (). There are relatively few competences associated to cantons, the most important one being the local organisation of elections, as cantons are electoral subdivisions. See also Administrative divisions of France Departments of France Regions of France Subprefectures in France National Police (France) References Government of France af:Prefektuur ca:Prefectura da:Præfektur es:Prefectura eo:Prefektejo eu:Prefektura fr:Organisation_territoriale_de_la_France gl:Prefectura id:Prefektur la:Praefectura oc:Prefectura pt:Prefeitura