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In May 1750, Parisians rebelled against arbitrary infant abductions by the police. Leaving aside the chasing away of beggars unleashed by the Royal Ordonnance of 12 November 1749 which acted as a trigger, do these riots not have deeper roots? The systematic study of police sources, notably family imprisonments under lettres de cachets, helps get back to the basics of the social compact sealed between the King and Parisians on the basis of the magistrature of police lieutenant d’Argenson (1697-1718). This article sets out to account for the reasons behind the changes of such a compact and the deterioration of relations between the police and and the population in the years preceding 1750. It will also highlight how the authorities drew lessons from the protest to respond to the discontent of the Parisians, without breaking off the dynamic transformation of the system of the Paris Police.