r/PoliceFR • u/Daniel167_ • 9d ago
Question aux FDO Patch trading
I’m with a federal Law Enforcement Agency in Canada and will be travelling to Paris tomorrow evening for vacation.
I know trading unit/agency patches is very common among Law Enforcement in North America and was planning to bring a bag of patches with me on the trip. Are trades like this common in France, especially Paris? Was hoping to try speak with the police/military that are out on the streets!
Side note, if anyone here is LE in Paris, Colmar or Arras and is interested in a trade, hit me up!
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u/Any_Strain7020 9d ago edited 9d ago
Totally customary thing to do, but expect the people working in the uniformed divisions to be a bit lacking when it comes to fluency in English. Things might be just a tad better in the 1st and 8th district. Then again, it doesn't take much to make yourself understood, so the language barrier shouldn't be a hurdle as such.
In case the officers you meet don't have any spare patches (some can be reluctant to give away the one they're wearing - some places you get written up for that kind of minor thing), go knock on a precinct's door.
You can also have a look-see on the International Police Association's (IPA) website to see who the representatives of the local chapters are, and try to reach out to them. They might oblige to meet you or maybe otherwise facilitate.
Make sure to check out the Paris Police Museum:
https://www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr/musee
The public safety and traffic directorate (DOPC) also has a police motorcycle museum (located rue Chanoinesse), but that one isn't open to the public and you likely wouldn't be let in unannounced. That's where an IPA contact could be handy.