Zurich,
Switzerland:
We
have seen reports on the internet that the city has established a 34 strong police
force, equipped with roller-skates.
The
roller-skating police have replaced the more expensive horseback mounted patrols.
 |
Cheaper
than horses |
It
has been calculated that the force can cover their beat five times faster than
using the method of walking.
Police
director, Esther Maurer, told reporters:
"The
police on skates are as much of a spectacle as the mounted police. They carry
out more or less the same tasks, but are a lot cheaper to manage."
Critics
of the new force have complained that a police officer on roller-skates can be
pushed over too easily.
But
unit head, Marcel Schaeffer, countered:
"If
people want to do that to these officers then they had better be able to run very
fast, because when we are back on our feet you won't be able to get away from
us very easily."
The
new skated-up force can remove their roller-skates quickly when necessary and
have been trained how to run up and down flights of stairs.
It
is not clear if the roller-skate police force will be armed. If they were to fire
a gun while wearing skates they could be catapulted violently backwards according
to our scientists...
8th August 2005.
