THE MOTOR FLEET OF THE PARIS POLICE.
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An Unusually Extensive Service is Given by a Very Varied Fleet.
THE advantages of mechanical road transport for police purposes were realized in Paris more than 20 years ago, but it is only quite recently that the motor fleet of the Prefecture has assumed its present imposing proportions. Paris has been fortunate MiCing the last few years in having a succession of particularly able and energetic police chiefs.
The present Prefect, M. Paul Morain, is not only one of the most energetic of them, but he is particularly keen on all 'matters relating tomotors and motoring. M. Moulin has not been in office very long, but he is already deservedly popular.
The present police motor fleet of Paris numbers mine 90 odd vehicles of all types from fast motorcycle and sidecar outfits up to 36-seater motor coaches. Unlike the Hotel de Ville, where the City Council has everything done by con
tract, the Prefecture owns all its ,vehicles and runs an exceedingly up-to-date garage capable of dealing with upkeep and maintenance work, even including complete overhauls.
With the exception of the motorcycle and sidecar outfits and half-a-dozen 0 h.p. two-seater Renault light ears, the whole of the vehicles used by the French Scotland Yard have been supplied by Messrs. Panharcl and Levassor. The fleet includes open five-seater touring cars, limousines, closed ten-seater omnibuses, and several 3-ton lorries, one being equipped with a breakdown crane for the workshops department.
There are also special wireless cars for the department of the Prefecture corresponding to the London C.I.D. These cars have -a remarkably complete installation for wireless 037 telephony, including a heft telescopic steel mast capable of being very rapidly erected and attached to the back of the body.
The "Black Marine" of the Prefecture comprise a variety of types from old chain-driven machines up to splendidly appointed new cars which give ample comfort to the prisoners in well-ventilated and lighted bodies. These last " Paniers Salade " are mounted on the very latest Panhard chassis equipped with four-wheel braking and other modern refinements.
Yet another special car run by the Prefecture is arranged for collecting stray dogs. The animals are carried in separate boxes in case they should disagree on the journey.
The most recent addition to the police fleet is a weighingmachine vehicle for the " service des fraudes." The appearance of this vehicle in Paris is said to be the outcome of M. Morain's visit to London, where, of course, the motor weighing-machine has been the coal merchants' terror for many years past. Last, but certainly not least in popularity amongst the police vehicles of Paris, comes a motor fried-fish shop This vehicle leaves the Prefecture every morning at about 11 o'clock and visits the busiest centres of Paris, where cheap and excellent lunches are distributed to the market workers and others.
The little Renault two-seaters are used in conjunction with the sidecar outfits for patrol work. Three vehicles, usually two motorcycle outfits and a car, are constantly in service in the Bois de Boulogne. Two of them patrol the splendid avenues of the Bois, which look so tempting to the speed enthusiast, whilst the third acts as a liaison vehicle between the others.
The chars-it-banes and omnibuses are used for rushing
bodies of police to any desired quarter of the city in case of emergency, whilst the touring cars are used by officials of the Prefecture and detectives in the course of their many duties.
The growth of the motor fleet during the past few years has necessitated the finding of better accommodation than that provided by the old police stables in which the vehicles were formerly housed. Quite recently a large market hall, the Marche des Carmes in the Place Maubert, only three minutes from the Prefecture, was closed by the City Council, and the police immediately took over the building. Although the work of transformation is not yet quite complete, the new garage is already in full commission, and the organiza
tion, thanks to M. de Courval, the police garage director, is excellent in every way. The up-to-date plant which is in process of being installed in the repair 'shops actually includes a test bench equipped with dynamometer, etc.
Every motor vehicle in the Paris police fleet, whether it be a motorcycle outfit or a lorry, has its costs sheet, on which is entered up every item of expenditure on fuel, tyres, repairs, labour, etc., throughout the year. By way of an anachronism, the Prefecture still runs a few horsed ambulances, but these will shortly be replaced by motor vehicles ; probably the standard type of Panhard-Levassor ambulance, which is already run under contract for the Hotel de Ville, will be brought into use in this connection.