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A police car is a vehicle used by a police force to assist with their duties. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to use to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to patrol an area for suspected trouble, to provide a high visibility deterrent to crime, to make traffic stops on suspects, or to detain and transport criminal suspects.
The world's first police car was an electric police wagon, let loose on the streets of Akron, Ohio in 1899. It could reach speeds of up to 16 mph and travel 30 miles before its battery needed to be recharged.[1] The car was built by city mechanical engineer Frank Loomis. The $2,400 vehicle was equipped with electric lights, gongs and a stretcher. The historic auto's first assignment was to pick up an intoxicated man at Main and Exchange streets. But after seeing the arrested man sitting regally in the chariot, some began to wonder if others would be disorderly in hopes of going for a ride. (Akron Beacon Journal, June 20, 1999)
Police cars have a number of nicknames and may be known as (police) cruiser, squad car, prowler, radio car, panda car, area car, scout car, patrol car. In some places a police car may also be nicknamed a cop car, a Black & White, a cherry top, or a jam sandwich. Depending on the configuration of the emergency lights, a police car may also be called a marked unit or slick top. Undercover cars can be called "Silver Bullets".
Usage
In many areas of the world, particularly the developed world, the police car has become a more widely used form of transport than officers or constables "walking a beat". This has principally been because a shift in the focus of policing away from high visibility with "an officer on every street corner" to more focused services[citation needed], sending officers out in response to incidents, and also allowing patrols to cover a much greater area in less time. This has the advantage of being able to get police resource to incidents in less time, and also for officers to be able to carry out their routine duties (such as taking witness statements) more easily.
Advocates[attribution needed] of community policing often cite this shift in to vehicles, and away from face to face contact, as a reason for breakdowns in relations with the community. As such, these organisations often ask police departments to encourage constables to spend less time in their vehicles and more time walking the streets and interacting with the community. This has led to some countries and forces, such as Britain introducing more walking patrols, using either fully sworn Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers.
Functional types
There are several types of police car. Some forces operate only one type, whereas others may have all the different vehicles.
- Patrol car - The car used to replace walking for the 'beat' police officer.[1] These cars would typically be of a relatively standard construction. Their primary function is to convey normal police officers between their duties (taking statements, visiting witnesses etc.), and are also likely to be used to respond to emergencies,[2] and as such would most likely be fitted with visual and audible warnings.
- Response car - A response car is similar to a patrol car, but is likely to be of a higher specification, capable of faster speeds and will certainly be fitted with audible and visual warnings. These cars are (almost) only ever used to respond to emergency incidents, so are designed to travel fast, and may carry specialist equipment (such as large firearms)[3][4][5]
- Traffic car - Also known as Road Policing Units, these cars are designed for the job of enforcing traffic laws, and as such usually have the highest performance of any of the police vehicles, as they must be capable of catching most other vehicles on the road. In addition, they may be fitted with special bumpers designed to force other vehicles off the road. They may also have different type of visual and audible warning, with special audible warnings which can be heard from a greater distance.
- Multi purpose car - Some police forces do not distinguish between Patrol, Response and Traffic cars, and may use one vehicle to fulfill some or all roles. These cars are usually a compromise between the different functions.
- Community liaison car - This type of car is used by some forces, and is a standard production car, visibly marked, but without audible and visual warning devices. It is used by community police officers to show a presence, and transport them between jobs, but does not respond to emergencies.[6][7]
- Unmarked car - Many forces also operate unmarked cars, in any of the roles shown above, but most frequently in traffic and as response cars for detectives. They have the advantage of not being immediately recognisable. For this reason they are a valuable tool in catching criminals 'in the act'.[8] In some areas, these may be known as slick top cars, ghost cars, stealth units, or, in Citizens Band vernacular, a "plain brown wrapper."
- Dog unit Car (K9) - This type of car is used to transport police dogs to and from incidents or duties. In some jurisdictions, this will be a station wagon or car based van, due to the installation of cages to carry the dogs.[9]
- Surveillance car - Forces may operate dedicated surveillance cars. These cars can be marked or unmarked, and are there to gather evidence of any criminal offence being committed. Overt marked cars may have obvious CCTV cameras mounted on the roof to discourage wrongdoing, whereas unmarked cars would have them hidden inside. These types of vehicles are very common in the UK
- High visibility decoy car - Some police forces use vehicles (or sometimes fake 'cut outs' of vehicles) to deter crime in a certain area. They may be old vehicles retired from use, stock models made to look like police cars, or simply a metal sign, made to look like a police car. They are placed in areas thought to be susceptible to crime in order to provide a high visibility presence without committing an officer. In 2005, Virginia's (United States) legislature considered a bill which provided, in part:Whenever any law-enforcement vehicle is permanently taken out of service...such vehicle shall be placed at a conspicuous location within a highway median in order to deter violations of motor vehicle laws at that location. Such vehicles shall...be rotated from one location to another as needed to maintain their deterrent effect...[10]
- Bait car - Police forces may operate cars used to trap criminals who are stealing cars (by carjacking, breaking in or other means). The car is taken to a place where it is known to be at risk of theft, and allowed to be stolen. The police then track the vehicle, and can kill the engine by remote control, along with locking the doors. The same technique can be used to place portable items of value such as GPS units with an inbuilt tracker.
- Rescue unit - In some jurisdictions, the Police may operate the rescue service, and special units will be required for this.
- Demonstration cars - cars which are not for active duty, but simply for display. These are often high performance or modified cars, sometimes seized from criminals, used to try to get across specific messages (such as with the D.A.R.E. program), or to help break down barriers with certain groups (such as using a car with modified 'jumping' suspension as a talking point with youths)
Equipment
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Police cars are usually passenger car models which are upgraded to the specifications required by the purchasing force. Several vehicle manufacturers, such as Ford and General Motors, provide a "police pack" option, which is built to police specifications in the factory. Police forces may add to these modifications by adding their own equipment and making their own modifications after purchasing a vehicle.
Modifications a police car might undergo include adjustments for higher durability, speed, high mileage driving and long periods of idling at a higher temperature. This is usually accomplished by heavy duty suspension, brakes, calibrated speedometer, tires, alternator, transmission and cooling systems, and also sometimes includes slight modifications to the car's stock engine or the installation of a more powerful engine than would be standard in that model. It is also usual to upgrade the capacity of the electrics of the car to accommodate the use of additional electronic equipment.
Audible and visual warnings
Police vehicles are often fitted with audible and visual warning systems to alert other motorists of their approach or position on the road.
In many countries, use of the audible and visual warnings affords the officer a degree of exemption from road traffic laws (such as the right to exceed speed limits, treat red stop lights as give way etc.) and may also infer a duty on other motorists to move out of the direction of passage of the police car (or face possible prosecution)
Visual warnings on a police car can be of two types - either passive or active.
Passive visual warnings
Passive visual warnings are the markings on the vehicle. Police vehicle markings usually make use of bright colours or strong contrast with the base colour of the vehicle. Modern police vehicles in some countries have retroreflective markings which reflect light for better visibility at night. Other police vehicles may only have painted on or non-reflective markings. Most marked police vehicles in the United Kingdom have reflective Battenburg markings on the sides, which are large blue and yellow rectangles.[11] These markings are designed to have high contrast and be highly visible on the road, to deter crime and improve safety.
Police vehicle marking schemes usually include the word "Police" or similar phrase (such as "State Trooper" or "Highway Patrol") or the force's crest.
Some police forces use unmarked vehicles, which do not have any passive visual warnings at all.
Active visual warnings
The active visual warnings are usually in the form of flashing coloured lights (also known as 'beacons' or 'lightbars'). These flash in order to attract the attention of other road users as the police car approaches, or to provide warning to motorists approaching a stopped vehicle in a dangerous position on the road. Common colours for police warning beacons are blue and red, however this often varies by force. Several types of flashing lights are used, such as rotating beacons, halogen lights, or light emitting diode strobes. Some police forces also use arrow sticks to direct traffic, or message display boards to provide short messages or instructions to motorists. The headlights of some vehicles can be made to flash, or small strobe lights can be fitted in the headlight/tail light/indicator lights of the vehicle.
Audible warnings
In addition to visual warnings, most police cars are also fitted with audible warnings, sometimes known as sirens, which can alert people and vehicles to the presence of an emergency vehicle before they can be seen. The first audible warnings were mechanical bells, mounted to either the front or roof of the car. A later development was the rotating air siren, which made noise when air moved past it. Most modern vehicles are now fitted with electronic sirens, which can produce a range of different noises. Police driving training often includes the use of different noises depending on traffic conditions and manoeuvre being performed. For instance, on a clear road, approaching a junction, the 'wail' setting may be used, which gives a long up and down variation, with an unbroken tone, whereas, in heavy slow traffic, a 'yelp' setting may be preferred, which is like a wail, but sped up. Some vehicles may also be fitted with airhorn audible warnings.
A development is the use of the RDS system of car radios, whereby the vehicle can be fitted with a short range FM transmitter, set to RDS code 31, which interrupts the radio of all cars within range, in the manner of a traffic broadcast, but in such a way that the user of the receiving radio is unable to opt out of the message (as with traffic broadcasts). This feature is built into all RDS radios for use in national emergency broadcast systems, but short range units on emergency vehicles can prove an effective means of alerting traffic to their presence, although is not able to alert pedestrians and non-RDS radio users.
Police-specific equipment
Police officers additional equipment may include:
- Two way radio - One of the most important pieces of equipment in modern law enforcement, and strongly linked with the development of the police car.[citation needed] Many forces have moved from traditional UHF/VHF sets, which can be monitored externally, to more secure systems, such as those working on a GSM system, such as TETRA
- Equipment Consoles - Are used to house two way radios, light and siren switches. Some may be equipped with locking compartments for safe storage of firearms, file compartments and cup holders.
- Suspect transport enclosures - These are dividers which ensure that a rear seat passenger (a suspect) is unable to attack the driver or passenger. These may be simple bars or grilles, although they can include bullet proof glass.
- Firearm lockers - In certain countries some police vehicles are equipped with lockers in which to store firearms. These are usually tactical firearms such as shotguns or patrol rifles, which would not normally be carried on the person of the officer.
- Mobile data terminal - Many police cars are fitted with Mobile Data Terminals (or MDTs), which are connected via wireless methods to the police central computer, and enable the officer to call up information such as vehicle licence details, offender records, and incident logs.
- Vehicle tracking system - Some police vehicles, especially traffic units, may be fitted with equipment which will alert the officers to the presence nearby of a stolen vehicle fitted with a special transponder, and guide them towards it, using GPS or simpler radio triangulation
- Evidence gathering CCTV - Police vehicles can be fitted with video cameras used to record activity either inside or outside the car. They may also be fitted with sound recording facilities. This can then later be used in a court to prove or disprove witness statements, or act as evidence in itself (such as evidence of a traffic violation)
- Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) - This computerised system uses cameras to observe the number plates of all vehicles passing or being passed by the police car, and alerts the driver or user to any cars which are on a 'watch list' as being stolen, used in crime, or having not paid vehicle duty.
- Speed recognition device - Some police cars are fitted with devices to measure the speed of vehicles being followed, such as ProViDa, usually through a system of following the vehicle over 2 points a set distance apart. This is separate to any radar gun device which is likely to be handheld, and not attached to the vehicle.
- Remote rear door locking - This enables officers in the front to remotely control the rear locks - usually used in conjunction with a transport enclosure.
- Push Bumper - Fitted to the chassis of the car and located to augment the front bumper, to allow the car to be used as a battering ram, or to push other vehicles off the road.
Use by country
Police cars in popular culture
Police chases have been dramatized in television programs and movies. If celebrities or unusual circumstances are involved, they may become major news features as viewed from an airborne camera.
On film and television, police cars are usually portrayed as containing a team of two police officers so that they may converse and interact on screen. In reality, most districts have only one police officer per vehicle, although at night this may increase to two.
Gallery
Americas
Crown Victoria
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Hopewel Police Car 231.jpg
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Chevrolet Impala
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Sharon police cruiser.jpg
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Chevrolet Tahoe
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DSC00641.JPG
2006 Chevy Tahoe Greensboro, NC
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Dodge Charger
2006 Michigan State Police Dodge Charger 1.jpg
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Charger Squad Car Rear Quarter Shot.jpg
Dodge Charger demonstration police car
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Other
1955 Chevrolet police car.jpg
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Policia-bonaerense-1.JPG
Police car from Argentina
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GASPBMW.JPG
Georgia State Patrol BMW 318i used during the 1996 Olympics
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Renato Ferezim ônibus da policia militar de são paulo em aparecida são paulo brasil.jpg
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Viatura da policia militar rodoviaria de são paulo isoesdeumpm.blogspot.commaxdias.JPG
GM Astra Sedan, Highway Military Police patrol - São Paulo State, Brazil (Polícia Rodoviária do Estado de São Paulo)
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Rota pmesp3.jpg
GM Blazer of ROTA (Tobias de Aguiar Ostensive Patrol), São Paulo State, Brazil
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Asia/Oceania
CNpolicecar.jpg
A Chinese VW Santana Police car in Beijing
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CNpolicecarfocus.jpg
A Chinese Ford Focus Police car
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Japanese NISSAN SkylineR34 GTR police car.jpg
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Patrol car1.jpg
Japanese Police car(Nissan Crew).
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Nissan Cedric YPY31 Patrolcar.JPG
Nissan Cedric Patrol car, Japan.
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Mitsubishi GTO patrol car, Japan.
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2002-2005 Ford BA Falcon XT (New South Wales Police Force) sedan 01.jpg
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DSC05284.jpg
A Singapore Hilux Police Van.
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Singapore Subaru Impreza WRX EPatrol.jpg
A Singapore Subaru Impreza WRX Expressway Patrol vehicle
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2004-2006 Holden VZ Commodore SV6 (New Zealand Highway Patrol) 01.jpg
New Zealand Highway Patrol Holden Commodore
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2002-2004 Holden VY Commodore Executive (New Zealand Police) 01.jpg
New Zealand GDB Holden Commodore
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Decklights.jpg
A New Zealand car outfitted for undercover police use.
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Europe
Polizei-Viano blau & gruen.jpg
Two vans of the German Police, left one in green (old), right one in blue (new) colour theme
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Trabant Polizeiversion.jpg
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Northumbria Police Van.jpg
A Northumbria Police Ford Transit Van, England
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StreifenwagenSaarPolizei.JPG
A Peugeot 406 patrol car (old colour: white with green, in use on cars up to model year 2004) of the Saarland Police (Germany).
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German Police car in green and silver-grey.jpg
Road accident investigation vehicle of the Schleswig-Holstein Police (Germany).
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Police-antiemeute-p1000485.jpg
Anti-riot armoured vehicle of the police of the Canton of Vaud in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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SPD old v70.jpg
A Swedish V70, using the older paintjob. The police in Sweden are using the same cars and colours everywhere: this is the SPD, Stockholm PD.
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SPD new v70.jpg
The same model, standing next, using the new, more reflecting markings.
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1974plymouthvaliantpolicecar.jpg
1974 Plymouth Valiant Swedish police car in the period black and white paint.
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Stilo polizia.jpg
Italian Fiat Stilo Police car
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Red London Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) car (BMW 5 series).
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Mercedes Benz Vito Oslo Police Van - 2007.04.03.jpg
Norwegian police van Mercedes Benz Vito
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Opel astra.jpg
Local police Opel Astra interception vehicle (police zone Kruibeke / Temse)
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Local police nissan.jpg
Local police Nissan Patrol (police zone Kruibeke / Temse)
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Antwerpen wagen.jpg
Older police commando truck (Antwerp police)
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Fedpol volvo2.jpg
Federal police Volvo S60 (Motorway Police of Oost-Vlaanderen)
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Fedpol moto.jpg
Federal police BMW R1100 RT motorcycles (Motorway Police)
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Autosan policja.jpg
Police bus Autosan A1010T (Poland)
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Catalan Police Car.jpg
Seat Altea Catalan Police car (Spain)
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Vienna Police Car.JPG
Smart Vienna Police Car (Austria)
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Bulgarian Mercedes police car.jpg
Mercedes police car (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
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Lamborghini Gallardo British police 1.JPG
British police Lamborghini Gallardo (used for publicity purposes only)
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Police Paris vehicule dsc06479.jpg
French Peugeot 307 police car
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References
See also
General
Other types of emergency vehicles
Manufacturers
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
- Police car showrooms from various manufacturers:
de:Streifenwagen fr:Véhicule de police lt:Policijos automobilis ja:パトロールカー no:Politibil pl:Radiowóz fi:Poliisiauto sv:Polisbil
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