[citation needed] In France, the wearing of the collar number is compulsory, save a few exceptions, from 1 January 2014.
[1] Uniformed members of the Garda Síochána wear an epaulette, bearing their unique "shoulder number".
Uniformed constables and sergeants of the New Zealand Police wear an epaulette, bearing their unique "registered number".
In a fashion similar to the Metropolitan police,some units such as Traffic and the Support Group, have their collar number supplemented by either the T or U respectively in order to differentiate their additional training and skill set.
EO Holborn EK Kentish Town EW West Hampstead NV Highbury Vale (closed), NH Holloway, NI Islington GH Hackney (closed), GD Shoreditch, GN Stoke Newington † Some authoritative sources (e.g. Police and Constabulary Almanac) are self-contradictory and incomplete.
Further to this; letters on shoulders will denote borough or newly formed basic command units and not the police station an officer is based from.
Similarly in newly merged boroughs a PC working from Holloway Police Station would have CN (Central North BCU) on their shoulder.
Collar numbers bear two letters indicating which establishment the officer is based at and three random numerical digits.