Tipp of the Week - Not your father’s police car
Hello, Tipp City! Marc the Cop here;
If you have spent any time around police cars, you probably that I have a favorite.
For me, it is hard to beat the Ford Crown Victoria. In fact, I currently own Tipp City’s last Crown Victoria, a fitting reminder of a time when the Crown Vic was almost synonymous with American law enforcement.
For decades, you could look down almost any highway or city street and recognize a police car by its unmistakable shape. The Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Caprice, and Dodge Charger became familiar sights in police fleets nationwide.
Today, things are considerably different. Recently, online discussion has focused on the vehicles some police agencies have chosen to purchase for their fleets.
Walk through a modern police fleet, and you may find a Ford Police Interceptor Utility, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford F-150 Police Responder, Chevrolet Silverado, a Mustang Mach-E, or even a Tesla!
Why the change?
The answer is simple: police work isn’t one-size-fits-all.
· Ford’s F-150 Police Responder is a good example. It is a pursuit-rated police vehicle that combines the performance necessary for patrol and pursuit work with something a traditional police SUV doesn’t have—a pickup bed. When I was on the Ford Police Advisory Board, we were developing the F-150 as a pursuit-rated vehicle. At the time, I was driving a Ford Expedition SSV. In those days, I wanted to implement the F-150 for the Sergeants to drive. The Ford F-150 Responder is a four-door truck with a six-and-a-half-foot bed. It offers ample room for equipment and for transporting prisoners in the back seats.
· That extra cargo space can be valuable for traffic-control equipment, barricades, investigative equipment, emergency supplies, and other bulky gear. In the event of a power outage, twelve intersections will need temporary stop signs set up to manage traffic.
· For agencies working rural roads, parks, waterways, or areas where additional ground clearance and four-wheel drive can help, a pickup can also be a practical law-enforcement tool. Pickup trucks are used extensively in the western states, such as Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and along the Pacific Northwest.
· Chevrolet has also entered the police pickup market with the Silverado 1500 PPV. The Michigan State Police 2026 police-vehicle evaluation included the Silverado PPV along with the Ford F-150 Police Responder.
· The Ohio State Highway Patrol has also incorporated Chevrolet Silverado pickups into specialized operations, including crash-reconstruction duties.
· Ram is another manufacturer offering police-oriented trucks. Its Ram 1500 Special Service Vehicle is designed for law-enforcement and government applications, while heavy-duty Ram trucks are also being evaluated for specialized police work.
· And then there is the Mustang. The Mustang actually has a long history with law enforcement. The Ford Mustang SSP—Special Service Package—was famously used by agencies including the Florida Highway Patrol beginning in the 1980s.
· Today, the Mustang name has returned to police-vehicle testing in a very different form. The Mustang Mach-E GT was included in Michigan State Police’s 2026 evaluation. With all-wheel drive and substantial electric-motor performance, it demonstrates how electric vehicles are becoming another option for law enforcement.
So why not simply put every officer in a Police Interceptor Utility or Chevrolet Tahoe?
Because different assignments require different tools.
A patrol officer working a busy interstate may have different requirements than an officer assigned to a rural district. A crash-reconstruction investigator may need additional cargo capacity. A School Resource Officer has an entirely different daily mission than a highway-patrol trooper. A traffic unit may have still another set of requirements.
The traditional police SUV remains an extremely capable platform. But it doesn’t have to be the answer for every assignment. There is no “one-size-fits-all” for today's law enforcement officers.
That’s one of the biggest changes I’ve watched during my years around law enforcement. The police car is no longer simply a vehicle with a light bar, radio, and computer. It is a specialized piece of equipment selected to help an officer perform a specific job.
And while I still have a soft spot for the Crown Victoria, I’m also fascinated by where police vehicles are headed.
From Crown Vics to pursuit-rated pickups and electric Mustangs, police vehicles keep evolving.
The lesson is simple: In law enforcement, the vehicle is a tool. And just like any other tool, the right one depends on the job. The department faced similar controversy in 2012, when it switched from the Crown Victoria to the Police Interceptor Utility.
Remember the 9 PM routine! The 9 PM routine is a nightly reminder for residents to remove valuables from their vehicles, lock their vehicle doors and their residence doors, turn on exterior lights, and activate all alarms and security systems.
That is all for this week! Please be safe, care for one another, and I'll see you in church on Sunday!
Sgt. Marc Basye (Ret.)
Do you have a suggestion for the Tip of the Week? You can email me at Marcthecop@tippgazette.com!
The opinions and statements in this column are those of the author, who is not affiliated with any law enforcement agency. This column is for entertainment purposes only. Persons referred to may be fictional for comedic purposes.
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