The shoplifter screams in shock as three towering Frenchpolicemenspeed towards him, grab his arms and legs, lift him upand drag himaway on rollerblades.

　　Within seconds, rollerblading officer Stephane Ajueloshashandcuffed a colleague posing as a thief.

　　This is all part of the training programme for the Paris police’slatest weapon in the fight against crime——— a50－strongrollerblading police squad. Criminals are totally takenaback, saidAjuelos. Some don’ t even try to run away when theyseeus. We’ retall on our blades, and very fast. They know theydon＇t have achance to escape.

　　Aujuelos,29, is one of50officers who have passed the toughentrytest to join Paris’ s rollerblading police squad.

　　Officers on rollerblades have been spotted in placeslikeAmsterdam, London, Miami Beach and Stockholm, but they can’ tbeatthe French capital＇s speedy force, said the unit’ s creatorMarcBella, a 42－year－old former speed－skating champion. Theunitinitially numbered eight and its main job was to monitor theweeklyprocessions of rollerbladers, which can number in thethousands,through the streets of Paris. The rollerblading officers,whopatrol the streets of Paris in blue uniforms, wearing kneeandelbow pads and crash helmets, provoke mixed reactionsamongParisians. It makes the officers seem more young and fun,saidAlain Croullebois,37,adding that French police in generalhavebecome much stricter since the government made it easierforofficers to hand out fines.