Am I the only one who thinks this thing looks pretty cool...?

In reply to pimpm3:

If you wanted a job to help people you should have been a medic. Im sorry but this is the usa we live in. Recently we had an "active shooter" on campus of a local university, it took 10 min for any police to show up and i could walk to the police station from campus in 10 min. When they showed up it was utter chaos, all for one kid who was suicidal and didnt even have a gun yet police from three counties over where there (30+min drive at the speed limit for them). We dont dislike police, we dislike how police act today and i know its a "if one apple in the bunch is rotten do you throw the whole lot out" well its not just one rotten, its entire forces that think they are in bagdad when in actuality its unarmed civilians and dudes with dime bags of weed they are going full on assault on. I promise we appreciate what YOU do for us, but you (as you know) do not stand with the rest of the force in the modern mentality of police.

I recall a time when riots were caused over police beating the E36 M3 out of a guy with billy clubs, that liberty isnt offered anymore, its an entire magazine thats emptied before anything happens now

Dammit i wasnt wanting this to turn into a "whats wrong with todays police STATE today" but rather is this police cuiser cool or not. Well thats the internet for you. Blame me.

Sorry.

Gah, sorry, I think I sort of started this flounder. I think the blacked out 'secret' looking patrol cruisers are a bad idea, for the same reason that I think the newer uniforms in MY area are a bad idea, it's an image thing. That's all I was really commenting on. I'd like the police to look and act like police, the Texas State Troopers do this, so I know it's possible.

An alternate view on the UC police cruisers, but what about if you or one of your loved ones are in a situation where you need the immediate intervention of a peace officer, except you can't find one cause they're all blacked out. When the average civilian (myself included) is frantic and needs to find a peace officer immediately, we don't squint and look for the holographic lettering and 12 Serius antennas atop the latest domestic SUV. We look for the black and white, or bright blue with gold lettering, or what ever other color scheme we have come to know that screams "to serve and protect". In other words, sometimes civilians NEED to find LEO, be it for protection, or because of an emergency medical situation, or because we've seen a person we believe might do harm to others, and we won't be able too. Never underestimate the blindness of a civilian that is scared E36 M3less.

In reply to mazdeuce:

This is totally true, the texas state troopers rule by intimidation yet are completely friendly. Everyone else is faux intimidation, weird but true. Its not just your area, its the whole dang nation that is like that. If tinytown, mississippi is like that, the entire nations police force feels the same way.

Edit: im sorry if i have offended any of our members here who may be leo's. Its not you, its the rest of the bunch of apple, actually its an entire mindset that is WAY too late to change. Nothing anyone can do now but hang on for the ride.

Just look for the guys driving in the passing lane (cops never drive in the slow lane no matter what) and tailgating people. There's your cop right there. Actually it's probably not their fault, it's most likely they're trained to drive like douches.

I dont see how a switch from the cruisers to the suvs came about. Its a bigger, slower, less stable at speed, more thirsty, more expensive vehicle. It doesnt do anything better except haul air space in the back of the thing. The crown vics cost ~$40 an hour to run I would hate to see what their larger replacements run. I have talked to a few leos in the back of the cab, that said the fwd impalas had constant tranny issues but you would think the manufacturer would address stuff like that.

On the note of the over-enforcement and militarization i think the police should be equipped as nessasary to be safe and to take down threats as needed. Thats just what is required when with dealing with the crazy, young, stupid, drunk, high, deeply socially inept, low class public that they do. Without dealing with this messed up populous on a daily basis no one here can make a fair argument against that.

Having dealt with some of these messed up citizens in the taxi I can attest to that. There is nothing like watching the d bag that is threating to attack or has, rob, cheat,steal, from you lose it when the police cruiser shows up and two bulked up ex-marines step out. (Most of the time crying race the entire time dbag is being pulled out of the back of the cab.. never seen any tanks or AR15s or even firearms at all drawn, just hands on holsters on approach). Those are the leos I want watching out for my neighborhood.

I think there are bigger social/class/mental health issues to blame. The media business fictionalises anything it can for the sake of entertainment, and love to point fingers at the police lately. Its like the hundreds/thousands of lowerclass/drug dealer killings that have gone on everyday for decades are getting old or something....

pimpm3 wrote: In reply to chiodos: Why is everyone so negative towards the police on here I am actually kind of saddened by this.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/american-shakedown-police-wont-charge-you-but-they/90643/page1/

My agency uses impalas and their transmissions are terrible. All the gear we are required to carry takes up all the room in the trunk. With a cage there is no room to put the seat back enough for anyone over 5'11. Half the passenger front seat is taken up by a laptop stand.

SUVS offer more room, and are generally more robust. We are not allowed to pursue for many things any more so the pursuit downsides are minimal. Most of a police cars life is spent idling so the gas usage difference is not as bad as you think. For example my 2014 impala has averaged 11 mpg according to the dashboard since I have had it and I drive like a grandma.

I am done arguing about the state of policing in the US today. Preconceived ideas can not be undone by one persons experience. My advice to everyone is not to always belive what the media is selling you, and go do a ride along before making incorrect assumptions and blanket statements about the police.

I've seen plenty of departments go for the newer non-SUVs too. CT state has a ton of Chargers, while the county cops here in upstate NY have a mix of Caprices, Tauruses, Crown Vics and a few of the new Explorers.

I like the cop Explorer, just as I like the lowered cop Tahoe. I like them in hopes of seeing them available at a discount.. as used vehicles.

Is there an Explorer police version comparable to the Explorer Sport, with the AWD and Turbo?

OHSCrifle wrote: I like the cop Explorer, just as I like the lowered cop Tahoe. I like them in hopes of seeing them available at a discount.. as used vehicles. Is there an Explorer police version comparable to the Explorer Sport, with the AWD and Turbo?

Yup. It seems that all Interceptor Utility models are AWD now. 3.7 NA V6 and 3.5 EcoBoost V6 are the two engine options.

jere wrote: I dont see how a switch from the cruisers to the suvs came about. Its a bigger, slower, less stable at speed, more thirsty, more expensive vehicle. It doesnt do anything better except haul air space in the back of the thing. The crown vics cost ~$40 an hour to run I would hate to see what their larger replacements run. I have talked to a few leos in the back of the cab, that said the fwd impalas had constant tranny issues but you would think the manufacturer would address stuff like that.

I've actually been a little curious about this myself. Sure, they've got new ford cars around here, but there's a lot of SUVs running radar(in housing plans of all places), and I'll admit, my first thought is "your ass would rollover chasing me" but my second thought is "you can't outrun a radio"

PimpM3, from what I've seen up here in PA, impala's are mostly gone. I know of one still in service, and it's a UC that happens to be bright yellow. I don't watch Top Gear US, but it's been related to me they did a comparison of police vehicles, and that the Impala was utter crap compared to every other offering and a lot of places finally switched off of them. I think the powder blue Focus that roams a nearby city is cute, because you can't tell until the lights are on. Also, I know the difference between a Bear and a tank, and while I'm sure it has it's uses, when the SWAT team is serving search warrants and chasing probation runners, a tank is a bit overkill. I've just never seen it move. I can't imagine them driving it down the road, or even logistically trailering it somewhere in any decent amount of time. But yes, seeing it going to show off a repaired fix it ticket, or driving by the barracks on the way to the gas station, it definitely adds to the intimidation factor.

There was a big rumor going around email a few years ago about the state troopers here using chargers. They came out and denied it up right left down and sideways, then 3 months later, advertised their new fleet of mostly chargers and those big dodge wagons. Seems like, locally anyway, they're replacing the whole fleet every 2 years now. If that's the case, they can shut the berkeley up about budgets, or they need to get on manufacturers to make vehicles that actually last like old crown vics and caprices did.

revrico wrote: Also, I know the difference between a Bear and a tank, and while I'm sure it has it's uses, when the SWAT team is serving search warrants and chasing probation runners, a tank is a bit overkill. I've just never seen it move.

If the thing never moves, I have to wonder if they got grant money to buy it for whatever reason and figured "well, we don't know what the heck to do with this thing, but I guess if someone else is buying we might need it someday"

In reply to rslifkin:

After a brief research, it's part of the 1033 program, but should be leaving soon. It looks like a tank takeback started late last year in a lot of towns, to the relief of the town, but distress of LEA that owned them. Kinda scary to watch the news videos and hear how angry and aggressive the departments that had them taken away were.

While looking for another article, I found one about a town getting their MRAP. It only cost the town a transportation fee(5 grand if you're curious) because of the 1033 program, so it's not out of the question that things could be bought from a general fund, but I'm sure there are grants and the like.

1033 program...leaving soon? Like its going away? Thats whats going on with all the police that have military weaponry, pretty crazy and most the time their gnarly weaponry is used in no knock 3am drug busts. Not police but along the same lines, a few days after the national guard recruiter terrorist attack, the local recruiting station got a "tank" (idk what you call them its not an abrams but its armored, tracked, and has a cannon on it so i call it a tank) parked in the parking lot. Funny but also a wtf moment.