My Life, My Car: I’d Never Eat in My Car

It’s a nice enough new building. Modern, clean, lots of concrete and glass. But the heart of the Police Cantonale Vaudoise in Swiss Lausanne, with 1,000 police officers and 300 civilian staff, lies underneath the surface – the massive car park where all police cars wait for their next operation.

Armoured troop carriers, stealth intervention cars, bikes and even trucks and tractors, they are all carefully looked after by Adjutant Jean-Philippe Jaquier, Chef Département Véhicules, as it says on his business card.

You don’t even notice what a powerful position he fills. His is a pleasant welcome, warm even. He immediately offers coffee and shows us his office. When asked whether he is a stereotypical doughnut-lover or if he prefers croissants because of the proximity to France, he surprises: “I never eat in a car.” And, with that, you’re on to his favourite subject.

Jean-Philippe was enthusiastic about vehicles and motorsport from an early age. He attended races, started to work on cars and quickly realised that after school he wanted to turn his hobby into his profession and become a car mechanic. That’s how it happened. But when he applied to the police in Lausanne for a job as a mechanic for the patrol car fleet, everything changed. When the sergeant asked him why he didn’t want to become a highway patrol officer, he couldn’t come up with an answer. He’d never thought about it. He asked for time to mull it over, and quickly came to the conclusion that not only was this a new opportunity for him, but that he would also be able to combine his passion with new experiences.

Shortly after a brief phone call with the sergeant, Jean-Philippe found himself back in school –police school. In 1984 he joined the motorway police of the Police Cantonale Vaudoise in Lausanne. It was a great time, he says today, smiling at the memories.

Of course, there were also incredible missions. Accidents saw cars completely destroyed, with some of the wheels and even the engines torn from the body, while the drivers would stand by the wreck entirely unscathed. “These were the moments when you would ask yourself: how can this be possible?” Jean-Philippe adds, shaking his head.

After 19 years’ service on the road, Jean-Philippe had the opportunity to become manager of the vehicle fleet. As nice as his daily work as a police officer was, his heart was still beating strongly for the four wheels.

Now he was able to combine his mechanical skills with knowledge gained from the field – an unbeatable combination when selecting new company vehicles. Performance, practicability and value for money, he says, are the most important factors determining the choice of police car.

Needless to say, this is why he has had so many ŠKODA models in his fleet over the years. Over 70 vehicles – OCTAVIAs, SUPERBs and the new KODIAQs – from the Czech Republic have been introduced into the Lausanne fleet by Jean-Philippe.

He is particularly proud of the vehicles’ durability. Patrol cars remain in service for up to six years and put in a solid 200,000 km. He rigorously observes all service intervals, but beyond that no particular wear or malfunctions can be detected.

“The cars are very sturdy. We don’t have to alter the chassis at all, even though we load the vehicles up quite heavily with our equipment. For example, the rear of the new KODIAQ features not only protective equipment, such as a shield and bulletproof vest, but also crow’s feet, warning lamps, warning triangles and more.”

While Jean-Philippe puts the trunk back in, his necklace suddenly flashes out – a small gold steering wheel he proudly wears around his neck every day. Why this symbol? Because he just loves cars. Every day.

10 Questions for Adjutant Jean-Philippe Jaquier