Curious about Police Cruisers
 

I've always wondered,

How are you police officers assigned cars?

Do you guys drive the same one everyday?
Do you get to pick which car to drive? (Marked/Unmarked/Tahoe/Crown Vic)
Does it go by seniority or rank?
Do you guys stick the N sign on the back of select cruisers or does the order come from higher up?
Does it vary by whatever job/duty/task you're assigned to do that specific day?

All detachments and even all watches are different in how they deal with vehicles. You'll get different answers from within the same detachment, depending on how the supervisors choose to do things.
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In other words...

Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe.

The type of vehicles available/used depends on the job function. Uniformed members are generally in crown vics, sometimes tahoes and sometimes silverados - most of those are marked. Plain clothes members can be in pretty much any production vehicle.

I know Delta PD has picked up some of the new Ford Explorers and VPD have at least 1 new Ford Taurus. I've also seen VPD riding a black Kawasaki instead of the traditional HD. West Van rides BMW bikes. I've heard North Van has a Hummer? I drive a tahoe cause I'm 6'4" and feel like a pretzel getting in and out of a crown vic.

Like I said above, every detachment/department has different vehicles and different rules/policies for who drives what.
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I drive a tahoe cause I'm 6'4" and feel like a pretzel getting in and out of a crown vic.

Whatamatter? Didn't the shoehorn and can of Pam work so you fit into an Impala? As far as the Tahoe goes....Signal Man on my Tac Troop was 6-8 and about 300 lbs and his recruit was about 2 inches taller. They used to work Nanaimo Det and when they showed up at a loud party call it got real quiet real fast. Kinda like 2 white "HighTowers" getting out of the suburban.

Thankfully we got rid our last marked impalla a few years ago. I had to squeeze into it few times when we were short on cars. I think its still kicking around with a new paint job and no cage though.
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Thanks for the responses guys

Not to hijack your thread, But the types of cop cars i've seen these days... Damn you guys are getting creative... (The unmarked ones)

There's a dark blue Tahoe around here with one of those "family" stickers on the back window.

I suppose it represents:

Deadbeat dad with a long list of convictions for domestic assaults
Crackhead mother with long list of drug and theft convictions
High-school dropout teenage son with several mischief and drug entries on his PRIME record
Promiscuous daughter who snorts crack in the high-school bathroom
Dog - only the dog knows for sure

Either way it really looks like a typical family owned SUV, minus the steel wheels, hidden lightbars, antennas and dark window tint....

A dark blue Tahoe on steel wheels is almost as obvious as a crown vic...

No way, it had a family sticker on the back. Obvious it was a family car.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not... :suspicious:

I remember seeing a really old blue pick up truck that the Vancouver police used which looked like it was about to fall apart. I've seen it a few times but this was quite a while ago and I've seen people caught by it before too.

Many years ago, I saw VPD with a Subaru Impreza. He was on Slocan pretending to be turning right onto Broadway, but he acutally had a radar gun looking for speeders on Broadway. I was waiting to turn right and was wondering what was going on. The officer waved me forward and when I got beside him, I saw his uniform. Very crafty. When the light for Slocan turned green, he would just back up the street a little. I think I've seen that Impreza twice.

I haven't seen both those vehicles in ages though.

We used to have a gray Chev extended cab pickup with a canopy on back. All the lights were hidden or clear ones that got colour when the power was turned on. Even though I drove it I used to miss it in traffic myself.

My friend is a police officer and I asked him these questions before too. Usually people pick one and stick with their own cruisers. Usually people shotty the chevy tahoe or the unmarked ones.

I think they should start using hybrids to save operating cost.
Tahoes and Crown Vics are too expensive to run.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz...815co1_500.jpg
http://www.houseofjapan.com/images/2...PoliceCar1.jpg
http://drivenforward.com/upload/Blog/popoprius.jpg

If Prius is too small...
Nissan Altima Hybrid
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/...b7f200ea5a.jpg

Ford Escape Hybrid
http://s65605.gridserver.com/wp-cont...pd-hybrid1.jpg

I emailed one of the police departments here and asked why they weren't using Hybrids.

Answer: They're loaded with batteries and would struggle to handle the additional weight of all the emergency and communications equipment. They are also slow and handle poorly.

Why our departments don't use small diesels I'll never know. They work out perfectly fine in Europe. If you need a bigger car to transport bigger criminals, then call for a transport unit. Routine patrols don't need to be conducted using Crown Vics and Dodge Chargers.

^ something like a jetta tdi probably can't do a PIT maneuver as effectively as a car with the bulkiness of a crown vic

I've seen 1 Dodge Charger PC in Victoria when I was there for a festival. Not sure if Vancouver have them.

There are a few more in Vic now.

As for the PIT... considering that around here pursuits are called off before they're even started I don't think this is a major concern.

You guys ain't see nothing until you've seen the unmarked cars I've seen. a Ridgeline, a LaCrosse, and a Camry.

That's cheating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebberry (Post 8129803) I emailed one of the police departments here and asked why they weren't using Hybrids. Answer: They're loaded with batteries and would struggle to handle the additional weight of all the emergency and communications equipment. They are also slow and handle poorly. Why our departments don't use small diesels I'll never know. They work out perfectly fine in Europe. If you need a bigger car to transport bigger criminals, then call for a transport unit. Routine patrols don't need to be conducted using Crown Vics and Dodge Chargers.

Yes maybe....assuming you can guarantee that the poor Copper stuck in the "algore special' will be able to drive fast enough in the case of an emergency to attend a call to save lives and/or to arrive as backup. As far as calling for a 'transport unit' goes....assuming your unit has such a thing and can actually get out on the radio to call for help. Many PDs have crappy radio coverage...my beat on upper Van Is had numerous areas I could not get out on any radio or phone channel...and I seem to remember that Vic PD had/have the same problem. Selling your soul to the "green dream" can mean a deadly price to pay.

Diesels are hardly speed machines either. And if time goes on, and speed limits do get raised, those cars will have to reach those higher speeds in a timely manner...

You hardly need a fast car to get through city traffic in a timely fashion. Lights and sirens are far more useful than a big engine. Besides, half the family sedans on the market (and likely my family wagon) would out accelerate, out brake and out run a P71. You don't need a race car for a PC in town.

Again, European police are getting by just fine on eco-boxes for general patrol. As for calling for a transport unit, the bike cops do this all the time so it isn't a foreign concept.

One thing we can all agree on is black and white Dodge Chargers do indeed look much more menacing than a Jetta TDI, and in that business scaring the crap outta would-be perps is half the fun ;)