Police vehicles in the United States and Canada
Police vehicles in the United States and Canada are made by several manufacturers and are available in three broad vehicle types:
- Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) are the most common police cars and are equipped to handle the vast majority of tasks including pursuit and high-speed response calls
- Special Service Vehicles (SSV) and Special Service Package (SSP) are specialized vehicles such as SUVs and sports cars and are generally used for specific tasks but are not recommended by the manufacturer as a pursuit vehicle.
History
The first police car was a wagon run by electricity fielded on the streets of Akron, Ohio in 1899.[1] Since the 1920s, the New York City Police Department has employed a fleet of Radio Motor Patrol vehicles to aid in its fight against crime in the city.
Ford's introduction of the Ford flathead V-8 in its Model B in 1932, the first low-priced, mass-marketed car with a V8 engine, gave it brand loyalty that allowed it to capture the police car market until 1968. In the 1940's and 1950's the Big Three began to offer specialized police packages with severe duty parts. In 1969, Plymouth took first place in the police market, with Chrysler Corporation's powerful V8's giving them a compelling advantage. Chrysler held their lead until the OPEC-engineered 1970s energy crisis drove buyers to smaller cars.[2]
In the United States and Canada, police departments historically have used standard-size, low-price line sedans since the days of the Ford Model A or Chevrolet Bel Air. Police switched to intermediates, such as the Plymouth Satellite, Ford Torino and AMC Matador, in the 1960s. Some state highway patrols (such as California and Missouri) adopted pony cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro or even AMC Javelin as high-speed pursuit vehicles. The Ford LTD and Chevrolet Caprice were re-adopted as standard when the models were downsized in the late 1970s. Since the termination of the Chevrolet Caprice product, most police departments currently use the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor as the standard patrol car. New North American Crown Victoria Police Interceptors are optionally equipped with a fire suppression system to combat the threat to highway patrol vehicles of rear-end impacts while parked on the side of highways. Im September of 2011, however, it the Crown Victoria was discontinued, in favour of the 6th-generation Taurus.
Non-Crown Victoria police vehicles may be bought to diversify a police department's fleet, so that less disruption occurs should a recall occur.[3]
While some departments have adopted SUVs and front-wheel drive sedans (mainly the Chevrolet Impala) , the rear wheel drive V8 configuration is favored for being consistent with pursuit driver training as well as for better reliability and more interior room. Trials with front-wheel drive vehicles like the Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala have shown problems with the cost of maintenance.[4][5][6] In 1994, for example, a Ford spokeswoman noted that "It is certainly true that any front-wheel-drive car would be more expensive and difficult to maintain if you subjected it to the kind of hard use they get in police departments."[7] General Motors and Chrysler provide other types (front-wheel drive, smaller engine) police vehicles as well, and a few jurisdictions (primarily in Canada) use these vehicles. The Chevrolet Tahoe PPV version is the only 'pursuit rated' SUV available in North America.
Many jurisdictions use the Chevrolet Impala, which in its current configuration is a front wheel drive V6. The Dodge Charger R/T is the most likely challenger to the Crown Victoria as a RWD V8 patrol car,[8] though the Washington State Patrol and the North Carolina Highway Patrol are using the vehicle initially as an unmarked patrol car. The Charger has shown great promise as a police car, being faster and more fuel efficient than the commonly used Ford Crown Victoria.[3] Some complaints about the Charger though are its limited rear visibility and smaller trunk than the Crown Victoria. There were, in the 2005 and 2006 model years, significant problems with the braking systems, which has since been revised by Dodge. At the end of 2006, multiple Dodge Chargers have been put into the NYPD fleet for citywide testing. In the summer of 2006, the Georgia State Patrol announced that it would begin using the Charger R/T for high speed chases on Interstate highways due to its additional power and speed. As of 2007, the Alameda County (California) Sheriff's Office has plans as well to upgrade to the Charger. Many police agencies in the metropolitan Detroit area have also adopted a fleet that includes a number of the Dodge. Dodge only rates their 6 cylinder and Hemi engined versions as "pursuit capable" (when ordered as a police package). The R/T version is not available in a police package.
Markings and appearance
North American police cars were once noted for being painted black and white, with the car doors and roof painted white, while the trunk, hood, front fenders and rear quarter panels were painted black. The fleet vehicles that were used typically came painted in a single color, most commonly white or black, from the factory and were used as such. The contrasting black or white color was added to make the vehicle stand out from civilian vehicles. In 2007, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) began converting its fleet back to a black-and-white scheme after decades of using other colours.
Beginning in the 1970s, police vehicle markings have become increasingly stylistic, with widespread use of computer-graphics and vinyl striping. While black and white designs are still in use in many jurisdictions, cars may range from being all white to completely black. Blues and greens of various hues are also frequently used. Brown, beiges and tans are favored by rural police and sheriff's offices.
Official markings also vary by jurisdiction. The side doors and sometimes the hood of a marked police car usually bear the agency's badge or the city seal, often in reflective finish. Markings such as emergency telephone numbers, generic anti-drug or anti-crime messages, or even website URLs are also common. Some agencies also have identification numbers printed on the roofs of patrol cars for tracking from aircraft, or to distinguish specialized units, such as K-9 units or supervisors.
Currently, in the United States, the paint scheme for each fleet is determined either by the individual agency or by uniform state legislation as in Minnesota.[9] Usually, state laws exist that establish standards for police vehicle markings, and proscribe civilian vehicles from using certain markings or paint schemes as is the case in California.[10]
Today, most fleet markings on patrol vehicles are created from reflective vinyl with an adhesive backing that is applied in a peel-and-stick manner. Colors chosen to represent the departments identity are typically chosen by the individual department, although, as noted above, some states have specific guidelines for color schemes and markings. Vinyl used to produce fleet markings comes in large rolls that are fed through a plotter (cutter) or large-format printer/cutter. The designs are created in specialized computer software and sent to the machines via cable link for production. Once the design is cut into the vinyl, the excess vinyl on the sheet is removed in a process called "weeding". Finally, a paper pre-mask is applied to the top of the vinyl design to allow easy application of multiple letters and shapes at one time.
Models by manufacturer
Ford
General Motors
Chrysler
- Chrysler Sebring (SSV)
- Dodge Intrepid (PPV from 1997 to 2004)
- Dodge Durango (PPV)
- Dodge Charger (PPV from 2006)
- Dodge Magnum (PPV from 2006)
- Dodge Dakota (PPV, SSV, SSP)
- Dodge Ram (PPV, SSV, SSP)
- Dodge St Regis (PPV; 1979–1980)
- Jeep Cherokee (frequently used by U.S. police forces, PPV from 1992 to 2001)
- Plymouth Fury 1960s, 1970s
- Dodge Diplomat 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
- Dodge Polara 1960s, 1970s
- Dodge Monaco 1970s
- Plymouth Gran Fury 1970s
- Plymouth Satellite 1960s, 1970s
- Dodge Diplomat (frequently used by U.S. police forces, PPV from 1977–1989)
- Plymouth Gran Fury (frequently used by U.S. police forces in original configuration, PPV from 1977–1989
- Plymouth Valiant Used by the Swedish Police as well as other US police departments.
American Motors (now part of Chrysler)
Studebaker
Studebaker Lark 1964 Marshal model in "Pursuit", "Patrol", and "City" versions[18]
Subaru
Toyota
Other police vehicles
Police departments also use alternative police vehicles.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and several US police forces use unmarked/marked mini-vans and marked/unmarked Honda Civic sedans/coupes and other import vehicles like Honda, Toyota, etc.
- Alabama
- Alberta
- The Calgary police department utilizes unmarked GMC Canyons, Ford Econolines, Ford Excursions, Ford Expeditions, Ford Explorers, Chevrolet Suburbans, Chevrolet Express vans, Ford F-150s, Dodge Durangos, Dodge Chargers, and Ford Crown Victorias, along with a small fleet of 2009 Toyota Highlander hybrids.
- Edmonton had a "taxicab yellow" paint scheme for their police cars.
- Arizona
- Northern Arizona University has a Cadillac Escalade, seized from a drug dealer.[20]
- Gilbert, Arizona has Tahoes and an unmarked Malibu
- Arizona Highway Patrol has marked and unmarked Dodge and Ford pickups as well as marked police package Tahoes along with Crown Victorias and Impalas. At one time, Arizona had Police Package Mustangs and a Thunderbird Super Coupe as an experimental vehicle.
- Maricopa County Sheriff has marked and unmarked Chargers, Crown Victorias, and Expeditions. There are also a handful of Explorers in the fleet.
- British Columbia
- California
- Colorado
- The Colorado State Patrol uses the current Dodge Charger in its fleet, alongside the Magnum and Subaru Impreza WRX.
- The Central City Police Department has three Hummer H3s in its fleet.[23]
- The Eagle County Sheriffs Office used the AMC Eagle until 1987 and then began using the civilian style Jeep Cherokee prior to the police package model.
- The Lafayette Police Department has an unmarked Ford F-150.
- The Lone Tree Police Department purchased two Hummer H3s in 2006.
- The resort towns of Vail and Aspen used Saab sedans and hatchbacks as their standard patrol car for over 25 years. Vail started replacing them with Ford Explorers in late 2003, and Aspen began replacing them in late 2005 with Volvo XC90s.[24][25] In 2008, Aspen started to replace its fleet of Volvo XC90s with Toyota Highlander Hybrids. Vail has begun ramping up their fleet with the Volvo XC90.
- Connecticut
- Florida
- The Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department uses only Ford Explorers as their primary pursuit/patrol vehicle.
- The Gulf Breeze police department uses an unmarked 2004 Ford F-150, 2009 Chevy Silverado and a green unmarked Jeep Cherokee for traffic. The department also uses Ford Crown Victorias, Ford 500, Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger.
- Florida Highway Patrol has used Mercury Marauders and Mustangs for Traffic Enforcement.
- Georgia
- Guam
- The Guam Police Department uses Ford Crown Victoria's and Dodge Charger's. The Guam Airport Police uses Nissan Xterra's.
- Hawaii
- The Honolulu Police Department and the Hawai‘i County Police Department supplements its fleet of marked patrol cars by allowing the use of the personally owned vehicles of police officers which are partially subsidized by department funds. These include not only American cars but Japanese cars such as the Toyota 4Runner and Camry, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima, XTerra and Murano. These cars are made distinguishable as on-duty police vehicles with the addition of a removable blue light bar.[26]
- Idaho
- The Idaho State Police uses only Dodge Chargers for its primary patrol vehicle. Dodge Magnums are being used for its crash reconstruction. Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors are used as secondary patrol vehicles.
- Illinois
- The Glenview Police Department has at least two Honda Odyssey unmarked mini-vans driven by plain clothes officers.
- The Lake Forest police department uses three Chevrolet Suburban and two Chevrolet Tahoe marked police cars for the higher-rank officers of the department.
- The Cook County Sheriff Gang Task Force has a late-model black unmarked F-150 pickup
- Illinois State Police has several unmarked vehicles ranging from Monte Carlos to Mustang GTs and Camaros to combat speeding and aggressive driving. There was also an unmarked Trans Am WS-6.
- Winthrop Harbor had some unmarked Crown Victorias that were supercharged
- Oak Lawn Police Department uses a Dare H2 Hummer for patrol
- Elburn Police use 2 Ford Expeditions and 1 Ford F-150
- Illinois Conservations Officers use mainly Ford, Dodge, and Chevy Pickups
- Indiana
- The Clarksville Police Department uses both marked and unmarked Ford Explorers and Ford Crown Victorias as well as a 1997 Dodge Ram for safety enforcement.
- The Indiana State Police has unmarked Mustang GTs for speed enforcement. At one time, they had LS-1 powered Z28s for this purpose.
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- The town of Amherst uses a Chevrolet Corvette as the chief's car. The department also uses a Hyundai Santa Fe as a rapid response unit.
- The Belchertown Police Department uses a double decker bus as its town police bus. They also use a Volkswagen Jetta as a police squad car.
- The Warren Police Department has an unmarked 2003 Land Rover LR2 and two unmarked 2002 Ford Taurus, as well as two Ford Crown Vics and a Ford Expedition.
- The Massachusetts State Police use a combination of Ford Crown Victoria, Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, Ford Superduty, and other vehicles.
- The Greenfield, Massachusetts police use a Chevrolet Lumina Apv, a Chevrolet Astro, a mobile home, Dodge Challenger, A Ford Transit Connect and a Chevrolet Camaro
- Michigan
- Michigan State Police Troopers use black Dodge Chargers fitted with chrome street rims along with a gunmetal Dodge Magnum (with police interceptor rims) for I-275 Highway Patrol. Both are completely unmarked.
- The Bloomfield Hills police department has several Chevrolet Corvettes.[28][29][30]
- Clayton Township in Genesee County has a Saturn Vue donated by Saturn of Flint.
- Dearborn, the home of Ford Motor Company, employs several different Ford vehicles, including Ford Ranger pickups for parking enforcement, and a Ford Mustang for public relations visits to local schools. In the 1970s, Ford provided the Dearborn Police Department with a number of Lincoln Town Cars equipped with early airbag systems in order to accumulate engineering data in "real world" conditions.
- The Hazel Park Police Department has a 2009 Jaguar XF (dark Jaguar blue), a 2008 Jaguar XF (silver) and a 2007 Jaguar XK Coupe (dark Jaguar blue). All were donated by Jaguar of Lakeside, Novi and Troy to commemorate fallen officers. The cars are fully marked and outfitted with police packages.
- Southgate's Police Department fleet consists primarily of older to newer models of the Ford Crown Victoria, both marked and unmarked. Despite this fact, however, the SPD also uses a newer marked Ford Explorer (for traffic patrol and responding purposes) and an unmarked (all black) Dodge Charger.
- The Trenton Police Department has three Hemi Dodge Chargers (two all black, one black with white doors), one V6 Charger (all black), and two 2010 Chevy Tahoes (one black with white doors and another all black). Trenton receives vehicles to test because of manufacturing plants located in the city.
- Michigan Conservation Officers use Chevy Silverado and Tahoes
- Minnesota
- The Mankato Department of Public Safety has a fleet of Ford F-150 pickup trucks, used primarily for traffic enforcement.
- The Police Department in St. Louis Park uses an unmarked 2001+ GMC Yukon Denali, 20" Rims, blacked out, and tinted windows all around.
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- The New Mexico Mounted Patrol does not have a standard vehicle, as all vehicles are trooper-owned and maintained. A wide variety of vehicles are in use, both marked and unmarked.
- The Las Cruces Police Department uses Chevrolet Camaros for intercepting fast vehicles.
- The New Mexico State University Police uses a mixture of Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Pickups and GM SUV's.
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Ontario
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Prince Edward Island
- The Charlottetown Police Department uses three unmarked Chevy Impalas: white, burgundy, and black. Number of unmarked Dodge Chargers, Mazda Miata 5: red. Pontiac G5: red. Also a unmarked green Chevy Venture van.
- Puerto Rico
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- In Regina, high school resource officers use either the Toyota Echo or its replacement, the Yaris, for transportation.
- South Carolina
- The South Carolina Highway Patrol used three BMW M5s during the early to mid 1990s. These cars were given to South Carolina after BMW chose the state to host their first assembly plant in the U.S.
- Texas
- Many sheriff's offices and police departments in West Texas utilize 4x4 pickups; Armstrong County 3 Ford F-150 Ext Cabs, Wheeler County 3 4-door and 5 Ext Cab Chevy Silverado's. Shamrock PD has 2 Avalanches and 1 4-door Silverado.
- The Houston Police Department used pickup trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F150, and Dodge Ram for their "Truck Enforcement" division, which is a unit to investigate commercial truck drivers for suspicion.
- During the mid-1980s, the Missouri City Police Department used a few Volvo 240s.
- The San Antonio Police Department uses a few Chevrolet Camaros.
- Trinity University in San Antonio uses a fleet of several eleventh generation Ford F-150s to patrol the campus.
- Utah
- The Utah Highway Patrol use two unmarked Subaru Impreza WRX STi's to combat street racing in the Salt Lake City area.
- The Centerville City Police Department has fifteen Ford Crown Victorias:Grey or White, as well as a Chevrolet Malibu: Red and multiple other GM undercover vehicles.
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- The Grand Rapids police force uses a black 2008 Dodge Charger Daytona. On the side of the car, instead of it saying "Daytona", it says "Police", and under that it says "Grand Rapids".
- Manitowoc has an unmarked Ford Taurus they use for patrol.
- The sheriff's department in Outagamie County tested an unmarked 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle for non-patrol use in 2005.[33]
D.A.R.E.
A number of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs in local police departments have some notable vehicles marked as police cars to promote the program. The DARE cars appear at schools and in parades. Typically these cars are high-end or performance cars that have been seized in a drug raid. They are used to send the message that drug dealers forfeit all their glamorous trappings when they get caught. Cars include the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, and Humvee.
- The Edmonton, Alberta, D.A.R.E units are Hyundai Tiburons and Dodge Challengers.
- The Monrovia, California, Police Department has a 2000 Mazda MPV minivan used not just for DARE functions but for the Police Activities League.
- The South San Francisco, California, Police Department has a 1981 White Motor Company RoadXpeditor refuse truck and a Chevrolet Camaro (police package) as their D.A.R.E. vehicles.
- The Golden, Colorado Police Department has an old GTO that they use as their DARE car. It is often seen at Bandimere Speedway.
- The Camden County Sheriff's Office, Georgia has a Dodge Viper that it uses for DARE. The car is also part of a tenured program known as Project R.O.A.D. Runner (Reach Out Against Drugs) created by the department before DARE was created. The car talks and educates kids about the dangers of drugs, very similar to the famous Knight Rider car, KIT.
- The Westmont, Illinois police department uses a silver Jaguar X type for DARE.
- The Ipswich, Massachusetts, Police Department operates a silver Toyota Celica Supra Mark II.
- The Dearborn, Michigan police department utilizes a yellow Ford Mustang GT for DARE activities and for use by School Resource Officers.
- The Flushing, Michigan Police department used a powder blue Chevy Astro minivan as their D.A.R.E. Vehicle.
- Missoula County Transit (Missoula, Montana) had an Orion II transit bus on its active fleet, painted all in black with DARE logos on the hood and sides. It was used in support of the Missoula Police and Sheriff's Departments until its retirement a few years ago.
- The Westfield, New Jersey Police Department uses a seized Chevy Tahoe with scissor doors and 24-inch chrome wheels for D.A.R.E.
- Parma, Ohio, has a Chevy Blazer offroader and a Toyota Sera with scissor doors.
- Chester County, Pennsylvania Sheriff's Department uses a PT Cruiser as a DARE vehicle.
- The Caroline County Sheriff's Office in Bowling Green, Virginia uses a Dodge Magnum as their D.A.R.E vehicle.
- The Harrison County Sheriff's Department in West Virginia uses a 1988 Trans Am for its D.A.R.E car.
- The Dodge County, Wisconsin Sheriff's Department uses a Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson for DARE.
- The Superior, Wisconsin Police Department has a Chevrolet Corvette that was seized in a drug bust, and is used for DARE.
- The Harrisonburg Police Department in Virginia has a Ford Mustang that was seized in a drug bust, and is now being used for DARE.
- The Goffstown, New Hampshire police department uses a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro that was seized in New Hampshire's largest cocaine bust.
See also
Future
The Carbon Motors Corporation has released details of the E7 prototype police car in late 2008 for planned production in 2012. However, on March 22, 2010 in announcing a deal with BMW for provision of diesel engines, Carbon indicated that production is now anticipated for 2013 due to delays in securing U.S. government funding on the Department of Energy's 2009 Advanced Vehicle initiative.[34] The vehicle, which was designed from the ground up for police duties after extensive research with US police departments, is planned to be the first purpose built police car ever. The vehicle has received considerable publicity.[35][36]
Even though Ford will cease production of the ubiquitous Crown Victoria in 2011, it has confirmed that a purpose-built police vehicle is currently under development.[37] On March 12, 2010, a prototype Ford Police Interceptor based on the Taurus platform was demonstrated at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Ford assured law enforcement agencies that it will be in production when the last Crown Victorias are built in September 2011.[38] The car will also be prominently displayed to fleet managers from Canada and the United States at the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) exposition in Detroit in April.[39]
Another viable contender, based on the Holden Commodore and badged as a Chevrolet Caprice, was displayed in October 2009 to North American law enforcement agencies, who have been advised that orders will be taken in 2010 for delivery in 2011.[40]
References
External links