県警パトカー引退で全国からファンが撮影に！ マニアを魅了するパトカーの正体とは？【佐賀県】 (23/01/19 18:17)

A Saga Prefectural Police patrol car that had been in active service for over 20 years was retired last November. However, after the decision to retire, fans from all over the country reportedly came to take photos. What is the true nature of this patrol car, which is found only in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu and has captivated the hearts of enthusiasts? [Detective Takashi Oho, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "The majority of visitors come from the Kanto region. While it's not quite 100, we do have dozens." [Sergeant Kazuya Mitsu, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "We were also very surprised by the number of visitors from all over the country." The Nissan Cedric patrol car that the Saga Prefectural Police used for patrols and other purposes until last November. Production of this model of Cedric ended in 2002, about 20 years ago. This patrol car was first registered in 1998, approximately 25 years ago. It has logged over 120,000 kilometers. [Detective Takashi Oho, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "It's very well-made. It's sturdy and we haven't had any major breakdowns. Many police officers have used it, and thanks to their careful use, it's been able to operate without any major breakdowns." This patrol car has "fender mirrors" attached to the front of the vehicle, rather than the currently mainstream door mirrors, and it also has a manual transmission, which is rare in the Reiwa era. Sergeant Kazuya Mitsu, now 30 years old, was still in elementary school when this patrol car was deployed. [Sergeant Kazuya Mitsu, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "The design is angular, and the interior is sophisticated, so I think it's cool. It's worthy of being called a luxury car of the past, and the seats are soft and stable, so I think it's a good car." However, the radar system installed to crack down on speeding violations became unusable due to a revision of the Radio Law, and the car's role as a radar patrol car ended last November. Photojournalist Takuma Arimura, who is knowledgeable about police and patrol cars, explains that the Cedric, which has been out of production for over 20 years, was still in use as a patrol car until last year. [Photojournalist Takuma Arimura] "The Cedric has been manufactured since the early '90s and '80s, so it's extremely rare for it to have been in active use until 2022." This Cedric patrol car, which Arimura describes as "extremely rare," is a rare find. Until last year, the Saga Prefectural Police Department was using three Cedrics as patrol cars. This patrol car, said to be the last in Kyushu, suddenly attracted the attention of fans across the country in June of last year. [Detective Oho Takashi, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "This Cedric radar patrol car has been in service for many years, and I posted about it on Twitter to let the people of the prefecture know about it and to show my appreciation for its efforts. I received a huge response from people and fans all over the country." Since announcing its retirement on social media, fans from all over the country have visited and taken photos of it. [Sergeant Mitsu Kazuya, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "I was very surprised that so many people came from all over the country, from as far north as Hokkaido to as far south as Kyushu. I also dealt with them, and I was surprised by how passionate they were about the patrol car." One person even came from the Kanto region three times to take photos... [Detective Oho Takashi, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "Some people came once to take photos, but didn't like the one they took, so they came back again and asked to take another one." One even made a fan-like request: "I'd like to take a photo of the rear of the car dropping as it accelerates." Detective Otsuka Keisuke, who was 32 years old when the car was deployed and often served as part of the traffic police unit, thanked them for their efforts. [Detective Otsuka Keisuke, Traffic Mobile Unit, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "When it was first deployed, it was equipped with the latest speed measurement device. I remember being very nervous when handling it. I'd like to say thank you for all your hard work in preventing traffic accidents in the prefecture." Although its role as a patrol car has ended, its vehicle inspection period remains until March of next year. [Detective Oho Takashi, Traffic Guidance Division, Saga Prefectural Police Headquarters] "It can't be used as a radar patrol car, but we hope to be able to use it in some form." Q. Is there a possibility that it will be running within the prefecture in the future? "Yes, I think it's not impossible." Meanwhile, journalist Arimura says that there are other so-called "modified" patrol cars in the prefe...