Police Car Types

 1️⃣ Patrol cars

These cars are standard among most police departments. They are used for driving around the city and looking for criminal activity. Officers also use them to prevent criminal activity simply by being present. Patrol cars bring officers to the locations of crime scenes, and transport officers who work as crowd control at intersections and events. 

2️⃣ Highway patrol cars

These are similar to patrol cars, except they tend to be equipped with engines that allow for faster speeds. They patrol highways for irregular or suspicious activity and traffic violations, as well as respond to highway traffic accidents or other emergencies. 

3️⃣ Pursuit vehicle / interceptor

This vehicle does exactly as the name describes. When police believe there will be a car chase, police use a pursuit vehicle (also called an interceptor) to chase and intercept(=to stop) a suspect. These cars have great pick-up speed(=acceleration), as well as a high top speed. They’re also built for damage from the pursuit or from gunfire. 

4️⃣ Vans and paddy wagons

Paddy wagons or vans are used by police forces to transport large amounts of prisoners and officers. The term “paddy wagon” dates back to when police departments used horse-drawn carriages, and may be based on a derogatory(=disrespectful ) term used against the Irish. Today, police forces differentiate between a “club van”, which is used for transporting prisoners, and a “carrier”, which is used for transporting troops and riot gear(=protective clothing and equipment worn by police or prison officers in situations of crowd violence).

5️⃣ SUVs and trucks

Police forces employ trucks and SUVs because they offer great performance, comfort, and cargo space. More space allows for more equipment to be used either in the vehicle or to be transported for use on scene. Some SUVs and trucks now offer similar speeds and road handling as patrol cars. They can also be more intimidating than sedans because of their size. Police departments who serve more rural areas or don’t go off-road frequently will invest in this type of vehicle.

6️⃣ Unmarked vehicles

Unmarked vehicles are police vehicles that don’t bear the colors and emblems of the police force. They are used for surveillance, undercover work, and other covert(=secret) operations. They are often sedans of a different model. Though they can be any type of vehicle. Unmarked vehicles often have telltale signs(=that clearly show something bad has happened), such as a lot of blinking lights in the cab that can easily be seen by people nearby.

7️⃣ Armored vehicles

Armored vehicles are usually employed by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams when there is a high risk of the vehicle taking on weapon damage. The armor protects the people inside so that they can safely reach their targets. The most popular armored vehicle is a truck with a lot of passenger room and space for riot gear and other weapons, but they can be cars, vans or even tanks.

8️⃣ Specialty vehicles

This category is a kind of catch-all(=everything) for all the other niche vehicles employed by police forces. It includes motorcycles, helicopters, hummers, snowmobiles, and RVs. Oftentimes, these vehicles are employed in a lot of the same applications as the vehicles that comprise their main fleet(=a number of vehicles), but specialty vehicles offer better access to some areas. RVs even serve as mobile command centers.