5 Features That Make Police Cars Different From On a regular basis Vehicles

Police cars undergo rather a lot over the course of per week. They might have to participate in high-speed pursuits and be put through maneuvers that your Honda Accord would not be well-suited for. Patrol cars also appear to do a number of idling, since we regularly pass by them parked in random spots with the engine on, while the officers sit there busy with very necessary work — we’re sure. In any event, that much idling might be hard on most engines. 

Along with that, a patrol automotive has to do things that the typical automotive doesn’t — it is essentially a mobile office for the cop. It has to move prisoners. It could have to move a dog, which, yeah, lots of you do as well. But recurrently transporting a working member of a K-9 unit is different from taking Scruffles to the vet every every so often.

That is why you will find every kind of special equipment in and on a patrol automotive, like a K-9 insert, for example. There are also every kind of components added and upgraded to extend the vehicle’s performance. There are even parts made specifically to enable PIT maneuvers. Police cars also contain gizmos to assist catch speeders and to read plates. Front seat compartments are built out like an office, while the back seats are modified to carry detainees.

Contrary to popular belief, police cars don’t roll out of the factory with significantly “souped up” engines. Generally, the police versions of vehicles crank out around the identical horsepower as their civilian market counterparts. For instance, the fastest engine option for the 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility is the three.0L EcoBoost V6, which happens to be essentially the most powerful engine option offered on the 2026 Ford Explorer. 

That does not imply that police vehicles do not get performance upgrades. For instance, Ford slaps on police-tuned suspension made for pursuit, and a feature called “AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control,” which robotically adjusts torque and applies brakes when the vehicle starts to lose traction. It also comes with a heavy-duty cooling system that features a high-volume radiator, which is significant for a police vehicle since at some point for a cruiser could involve each a number of idling and high-speed maneuvers. 

Heavy-duty brakes, specially designed to not overheat, are also included on the Police Interceptor. It also has heavy-duty front suspension, which comes with front subframe structural reinforcements and other rugged components which might be made to take a number of abuse. Along with all of that the vehicle contains a preemptive full-time Intelligent AWD System.

Did you realize that police departments often consider the dogs of their K-9 units to be officers? The dogs undergo a number of training and sometimes put their lives on the road to save lots of their human partners. For a companion like that, you are not just going to throw a blanket down in your cruiser’s cargo area and call it a day. The containment units for these furry cops are specially designed to take one of the best care of them.

The Setina Ultimate K-9 II, for instance, is made with the dogs’ comfort in mind. It has easy load steps for the dog to get out and in of the vehicle, a solid aluminum frame with loads of ventilation, a removable rubber floor mat, and an optional fan to assist keep it cool. It’s an aftermarket unit, but with versions specifically made to suit the Dodge Durango, Ford Interceptor Utility, and the GM Tahoe.

The AceK9 Hot-N-Pop Pro is a system with a combination of features to maintain the dog secure. It monitors the temperature and can alert the handler if it gets too hot or cold for the canine. It might probably honk the horn, flash the lights, or activate the siren. It’s going to even roll down the windows if the temperature gets too high. This is usually a life-or-death matter for the canine. What if the officer needs help from their canine partner? The door might be remotely opened to release the dog.

For those who’re acquainted with the old TV show “Cops” or watch a number of body cam footage on YouTube, you realize what a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver is. It’s when an officer tries to finish a vehicle pursuit by pushing the front corner of his cruiser into the rear corner of the automotive that is being chased. It causes the pursued vehicle to spin uncontrolled and frequently come to a stop. It even works on giant John Deere tractors. What you might not know is that many police vehicles are specifically equipped for this very maneuver, although you’ll have noticed the equipment yourself.

You realize those cowcatcher-looking bars on the front of the police vehicle? They’re part of what is called a “push bumper.” The Setina push bumper is fabricated from aircraft-grade aluminum or steel and has replaceable mar-resistant push pads on the front. The push bumper might be combined with fender guards that wrap across the front fenders, in order that the cruiser’s fender doesn’t should make direct contact with the chased automotive. Hey, no use in each cars getting heavily damaged in a police chase, right?

There are even tires made specifically for police chases. In actual fact, police tires are built to completely different standards than those for civilian vehicles. They’re called “pursuit” tires, they usually’re made to maintain from blowing out during high-speed chases. They are sometimes paired with heavy-duty steel wheels.

We have all seen cops pointing those big radar guns at passing cars, hoping to catch speeders. They may monitor people’s speed while on the fly, due to dash-mounted radar units. These devices are all the time on and a few of them can measure the speed of multiple cars at the identical time. The officer doesn’t should point it or do much of anything.

Remember when an officer needed to “run your plates” to be sure your automotive wasn’t stolen or to assist discover who the owner of the vehicle is? There are actually devices that robotically do that for them. Automated license plate readers can robotically detect and check license plates while the officer is driving down the road. A few of them may detect the colour and kind of vehicles. The device then runs the plate against databases and alerts the officer if the plate is on what is named a “hot list.”

Cops prefer to be sneaky sometimes and would favor that you just not see them until they need you to see them. That is why some patrol cars include modes that darken the inside in order that it’s harder to see if a cop is inside. Ford calls this “Dark Automotive Mode,” and it allows the officer to “effortlessly switch off all internal lights and dim the drive console to assist keep you and your vehicle safely hidden.”

You realize how a number of cops have what appears to be a complete office within the front seat of their automotive, including an enormous laptop, while, depending on where you reside, you would get a ticket only for glancing at your smartphone? Well, all of that equipment requires docks and brackets, which might be purchased as a part of an aftermarket package. The seats are sometimes specially made, as well. They’re often shaped to accommodate the bulky equipment belt that cops should wear. Some seats are even made to stop stabbing from behind.

There are every kind of high-tech gizmos that might be present in the front compartment. The Ford Interceptor Utility comes with a fringe alert feature that lets the officer know if a threat is approaching the automotive. Mobile data terminals that connect with the Web are also available, allowing the officer to speak electronically and access databases.

The back compartment is designed specifically for transporting prisoners, though not necessarily for his or her comfort. The seats are often vinyl or plastic, which is practical for the reason that back of police cruisers is commonly inhabited by folks who’re inebriated. Anyone who drives for Uber at night can let you know how messy that may get. There are cameras and mics inside to watch each the prisoner and the cop. Just remember that, must you end up behind a cop automotive, you would be recorded even while the cop is away.