This is the 7539th most frequent French word.
préfecture
A "préfecture" is a government administrative office or the headquarters of a prefect in France.
In this sentence, 'préfecture' refers to the government building where administrative services, such as passport renewal, occur.
Je suis allé à la préfecture pour renouveler mon passeport.
I went to the prefecture to renew my passport.
Here, 'préfecture de police' signifies the administrative entity overseeing the police services in a certain region.
La préfecture de police a publié un communiqué de presse.
The police prefecture issued a press release.
In this context, 'préfecture régionale' denotes the administrative authority at the regional level that governs and coordinates activities within its jurisdiction.