Paris Adds 50 Gendarmes on Rollerblades

A 50-strong rollerblading police squad has been added to the police force patroling the City of Light, according to a report by Stuff.

Rollerblading officer Stephane Ajuelos says, "Criminals are totally taken aback. Some don't even try to run away when they see us. We're tall on our blades, and very fast. They know they don't have a chance to escape."

Aujuelos, 29, is one of 50 officers who have passed the tough entry test to join Paris' rollerblading police squad.

Officers on rollerblades have been spotted in places like Amsterdam, London, Miami Beach and Stockholm, but they can't beat the French capital's speedy force, said the unit's creator, Marc Bella, a 42-year-old former speed-skating champion.

The unit initially numbered eight and its main job was to monitor the weekly processions of rollerbladers, which can number in the thousands, through the streets of Paris.

Today, the officers patrol the streets, teach schoolchildren traffic rules and help fight crime.

"Each week, we catch at least one criminal on our skates," said officer Pascal Fubini, recalling how his team caught a mobile phone thief on the busy streets.

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