Cop suv's instead of cars?

[j706]

This brings up a good point. What does a officer expect from a car and need it to do? Most of us joes have no idea so it would help us to understand more.

With myself I expect (or want) a car that has better than average performance, handling and stopping ability. I want something that will run 100+ MPH for a relatively great distance without over heating or breaking down. I want brakes that can take multiple full bore stops and not fade when hot, tires that I am confident will not blow out the side walls at 100 MPH after a 10 mile run. I also like to have plenty of room to work inside the car as well as plenty of room to be able to bring my stuff with me...all of my stuff. And I also would like something that never needs to go into dealer level service from the time it gets issued to me to the time I turn it in for the last time.

BTW I have that now. 2011 Caprice with a six speed automatic, 6.0 liter LS V8 engine, a very strong and tight limited slip rear end, traction control/stable track, performance or pursuit mode switch and the list goes on. Almost the perfect cop car. It does everything very well.

 

[melensdad]

I keep waiting for the police to adopt FUEL EFFICIENT small cars like they have all over Europe. Can't wait to see the Po-Po roll up to a drug bust in da hood driving a VW Jetta.

 

[j706]

I did look it up. According to the FBI less than 10% of police pursuits involve a PIT maneuver. Of that 10% how many are large cars and how many are smaller? All I know is that a lot them had to small or mid-sized.

Well maybe we like go like England and give up our handguns. After all not many calls involve firearms use. I equate it to having what you may need. I can confidently say we have pretty much all the tools we need to do our job. That goes from a proper vehicle all the way down to the proper long guns that I may need someday.

 

[jdmack79]

I keep waiting for the police to adopt FUEL EFFICIENT small cars like they have all over Europe. Can't wait to see the Po-Po roll up to a drug bust in da hood driving a VW Jetta.

What are you thinking? The dealers would be back in Chicago before the police ever got there in such a slow car. They would also have to make a second trip to carry their shield, helmet, and baton. There is no way they could fit all of their equipment in such a diminutive ride!

Purple?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Which is precisely my point. If each car doesn't need to have the room to haul people to jail if frees up a lot of space. You would have entire backseat area to turn into your toy box.

That is what the trunk is for.

 

[VUPDblue]

maybe I will snap some pics of the inside of my car and all my gear....for science of course.

 

[VUPDblue]

also, the back seat is for more than hauling folks to jail and could not realistically be done away with.

 

[88GT]

Missed it by 6 hp when I got the M5
Since it is a 6 speed manual, does that make up for the hp

I have had a school bus go sideways on me though. That was fun

We'll give it to ya. Manual makes it easier but driving a manual seems to be dying art, so points to you for that.

 

[Tripp11]

Which is precisely my point. If each car doesn't need to have the room to haul people to jail if frees up a lot of space. You would have entire backseat area to turn into your toy box.

At times, when arriving on scene, you need to secure someone immediately, and you can't wait for a van/wagon to secure that individual. So, if two cars show up on scene and they've used the entire seating area as a "toy box", where would you secure an individual while you finish your assessment/investigation?

Even if the cars aren't used primarily to transport individuals who have been arrested, the cars still need seating space to secure persons who are being detained/arrested until a transport vehicle can arrive.

 

[Denny347]

I haul crash victim, crime victim, suspects to be questioned, juvenile runaways...all in my back seat.

Here is a few pics I snapped of my "typical" patrol car set up.

First is the trunk without my weapon bags. The Crown Vic has a deep trunk so you can see how much just my gear bags take up.



This pic is with my shotty, rifle, and pepperball. The trunk just closes.



This is a pic of what hang from my trunk lid because I cannot fit it anywhere else. I used to have stop sticks up there but I don't have the room for them anymore.



I keep my interior clutter free and you can see how much just mu bag, laptop, and E-ticket printer take up.

 

[Denny347]

We'll give it to ya. Manual makes it easier but driving a manual seems to be dying art, so points to you for that.

I do miss my manual. I bought used for my personal car and finding a manual is HARD!!! I learned to drive on a 4 speed 1980 Mercury Capri (Fox body) and drove that style until 1998 when I gave up my 1987 5.0 5speed. I miss that rust bucket. I needed a tetanus shot just to work on it . I laugh at how people cannot drive a RWD in snow. I still do it with my Crown Vic. It's so easy to control.

 

[vitamink]

What are you thinking? The dealers would be back in Chicago before the police ever got there in such a slow car. They would also have to make a second trip to carry their shield, helmet, and baton. There is no way they could fit all of their equipment in such a diminutive ride!

Purple?

shazam

These were both novelties and a waste of money. The nice thing about the ford is that it's essentially a car built on a truck frame. If you get in an accident everything is easily and cheaply replaceable. The toyota sounded like a good idea to those wanting to save money on gas but the car nickel and dimed you in other was making it a wash. The car had no performance, saftey, and couldn't stand up to police use. As i said before only a few cars fit the bill. You need a large radiator, oil and transmission cooler etc. The toyota, though faster than a crown vic, was worthless. Any accident cost mulitple times more money and usually resulted in scrapping the vehicle long before a crown vic ever would.

 

[UncleMike]

Its like the argument about AR-15s and machine guns. If the police can have them, so should the average citizen. If the average citizen can have Camaros, Chargers, Mustangs, Tahoes, etc - so should the police.

Hey...
This is an argument about Government waste.
Let's not interject any logic here.
It confuses the other side.

I think this country could make do without the police.

That, I believe, is the goal of some people here.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

maybe I will snap some pics of the inside of my car and all my gear....for science of course.

Can you wear a white lab coat and some shop glasses for us?

I will send rhino over to assist you. Tape a volleyball to the cop of his back and call him "Igor."

 

[jdmack79]

Hey...
This is an argument about Government waste.
Let's not interject any logic here.
It confuses the other side.


That, I believe, is the goal of some people here.

There is a BIG difference between the two. I don't ask the nation to buy me a machine gun to keep up with you. You are asking all of us to buy you a nice car just because we have one.

 

[Dead Duck]

There is a BIG difference between the two. I don't ask the nation to buy me a machine gun to keep up with you. You are asking all of us to buy you a nice car just because we have one.

Well....You should! Because they're Fun-Fun-Fun.

 

[UncleMike]

There is a BIG difference between the two. I don't ask the nation to buy me a machine gun to keep up with you. You are asking all of us to buy you a nice car just because we have one.

The only people the Police have to keep up with are the criminals.
Each Officer must be equipped, trained, and prepared, to handle a variety of situations until backup arrives.
That requires equipment, which requires space.
And...
That situation is only going to get worse due to the cutbacks in personnel that departments are having to deal with right now.
A police cruiser is an office, interrogation room, holding cell and a U-Haul.
Not just a mode of transport for the guy/gal behind the wheel.
Besides...
We need to save money for important crap, like studies of squirrel peckers, tunnels under highways for turtles, and sending the POTUS and family on six or seven vacations a year.
I suggest you review your priorities before you decide to gut your Police Departments and turn them into British Bobbies on bicycles.
There are a Hell of a lot more places in Government spending that could be trimmed.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

A US police car needs to be able to hold 4 people for tactical reasons. Ambulances can't always get to an injured person, especially when that injured person is still under fire and extraction isn't happening in a Civic.

I like having a trunk. Out of sight, out of mind for some pretty expensive gear. Its also tougher to smash and grab trunk stuff than stuff behind glass. That said, I can also see the appeal of an SUV with a hatch.

As for what I want in a car:

Safe. If I crack this car up, I want it to protect me.
Comfortable. Its a mobile office for uniformed guys. If its not comfy you have a problem.
Easy in and out. Doors that open wide and a natural step in and out height. Easy to stuff in a prisoner or hurt victim.
Easy clean out. See above
Low deck lid for trunk. Need to get stuff in and out of the trunk quickly and easily.
Quick 0-60-0 time. Top speed is seldom relevant, but quick acceleration and braking definitely matter in an urban environment.
Handling. I want it to stick to the road
Visibility. The downside to the Charger. I don't want blind spots.
Durability. If your car is down, you are down, at least until you swap all your crap into a pool car.

 

[vitamink]

I would like to see the squirrel pecker research but I'm odd and I know that.

 

[UncleMike]

I would like to see the squirrel pecker research but I'm odd and I know that.

My appologies.....
It was duck penis's.
I hope you're not disappointed.