About the police in London
The system responsible for keeping London safe is somewhat complex. With a few exceptions, the force responsible for Greater London is theMetropolitan Police.
London’s Metropolitan Police is also known as Scotland Yard. Its name often appears in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series.
With one exception: only central London, the City of London, has a special arrangement,the City of London Policebecause it is under the jurisdiction of a separate police organization. The City of London Police is not a subordinate unit of the Metropolitan Police, but a completely independent organization.
Railways throughout the island of Great Britain, including Scotland,are overseen by the specialist police force British Transport Police. This is very different from Japan’s railway police units, which are established as part of the police headquarters in each prefecture.
Battenburg markings
Police vehicles in the United Kingdom are marked in 2 colors, yellow and blue. This makes it immediately clear that they are police vehicles, whether they belong to the Metropolitan Police, the City of London Police, or the British Transport Police. Other emergency vehicles also have designated color combinations: ambulances use yellow and green, while fire engines use yellow and red. These patterns are known as Battenburg markings.
The paint schemes and models of British emergency vehicles are introduced in the article below.
London Metropolitan Police vehicles
Metropolitan Police Ford Focus III
Unfortunately, British cars are rarely seen among British police vehicles (police cars). The most common are American, German, and French cars.
An American car, the 3rd-generation Ford Focus.
“METROPOLITAN POLICE” means the Metropolitan Police of London.
The back (rear) is in 2 colors: yellow and orange.
Metropolitan Police Mercedes-Benz Sprinter II
It is the 2nd generation of the German vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
It can carry bicycles. “POLICE” is also clearly written on the bicycle.
Metropolitan Police Peugeot 308 II
A French car, the 2nd generation of the Peugeot 308.
Metropolitan Police Ford Transit IV
This is the 4th generation of the Ford Transit. Ford is an American company, but the Transit has primarily been manufactured and sold in Europe.
Police vehicle bodywork is usually white or silver, but red police vehicles belong to a London Metropolitan Police unit responsible for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection. It is also known as “PaDP”, after the initial letters.
Metropolitan Police Vauxhall Vivaro
This is a Vauxhall Vivaro. Vauxhall is a British automaker. However, it does not develop its own vehicles; this model is based on the 2nd generation of the Renault Trafic, modified slightly for British specifications. It is often used as a light commercial vehicle.
This is also a Vauxhall Vivaro. The yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings were introduced in 2012, but before then British police vehicles were known for their thin orange stripes. The old markings remain on some vehicles, such as small transport vans.
From Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. It isn’t a vehicle of London’s Metropolitan Police, however. Because it looked like orange jam spread between 2 slices of bread, it was affectionately known as a “jam sandwich.”
Glasgow’s tourist attractions and city walks are introduced in the article below.
London police vehicle
City of London Police Volkswagen Golf GTE
This is a Volkswagen Golf GTE. The Golf GTE is a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The Volkswagen emblem serves as the cover for the charging port. The emblem appears to have fallen off this vehicle.
City of London Police vehicles are usually white or silver, butthis vehicle is specially black.
“CITY OF LONDON POLICE” means the City of London Police. The logo is incredibly stylish. This vehicle has the nickname “ECO INTERCEPTOR”.
British Transport Police Vehicles
British Transport Police Vauxhall Vivaro
This is a Vauxhall Vivaro. The word “POLICE” on the bonnet is written in mirror image so it can be read correctly in a rear-view mirror. This is different from the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police.
“BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE” means the British railway police.
The related guide “ロンドン：観光スポット・グルメ・交通・モデルコースを解説” is currently available only in Japanese.
