During the Second World War, the Special Brigades were a French police force specialising in tracking down "internal enemies" (ie French Resistance workers), dissidents, escaped prisoners, Jews and those evading the STO. It was dependent on the Direction centrale des Renseignements généraux (RG) and worked in direct collaboration with the German civil, secret and military police, the Geheime Feldpolizei. It was based in room 35 on the first floor of the Paris Prefecture of Police.
Brigade Spéciale N°2 (BS2) was known to commit torture.