Vehicles of Paris: Part 14

What could be more clear? Yes, it's a police car. You see these guys cruising around town and at the occasional accident scene. The national police used to be known as le Sûreté which may ring a bell if you ever saw an Inspector Clouseau movie.

The more I try to learn about the police, though, the more I understand why Clouseau was so confused. Although the police are organized and adminstered at the national level, they are also responsible for enforcing the law in municipalities. And don't mistake them for the gendarmes who are technically part of the military but also have law enforcement responsibilities. Frankly, I've read enough about it to make my head swim and things aren't getting any clearer. But then again, as long as I keep my nose clean, I suppose I really don't need to know who has jurisdiction when and where.