That's also how it works in Belgium I guess, as we have cars from all the makes.

In France it was the same, but only from French makes. Now they can get also other makes, hence the recent Subaru Impreza for example.

In Canada, about 85-90% of the police cars are Crown Victorias, but depending on the region some departments have also adopted Impalas or Chargers. During the 1980s and early 1990s most police cars were Plymouth Caravelles and Chevrolet Caprices, although there were also a few front wheel drive cars such as Tauruses.

In regards to SUVS, the local police prefer to use GMT800 and GMT900 Chevrolet Suburbans, which are most commonly seen ferrying officers from the ETF (SWAT) team on raids.

A homepage about GDR-police-cars. The Hermsdorfer Kreuz was -still is- a big Autobahn-crossing in the south of Eastern Germany. It was built in the early 40ies.

http://www.saale-holzlaender.de/fuhrpark01/index.html

LOL Volvo S70 as highway patrol in US http://www.policeworldwide.com/pictures/20060602/Volvo20car,20State%20Police.jpg- _full_zkcvta6brs.jpg

When I've been in the US in 1993, I've seen Mazda RX 7 as highway-patrol-cars in Texas.

For police-car-freaks I can recommend that auto-quartett-game from the early 70ies:
http://cgi.ebay.at/FX-Schmid-59622-Polizei-Fahrzeuge-1972-Auto-Quartett_W0QQitemZ310028608283QQihZ021QQcategoryZ9176QQcmdZViewItem

You can find it sometimes on oldtimer- or automobilia-markets.

Some years ago I owned one - I got it from an Opel GT-freak, who was very crazy for the original Opel GT-refreshing towels, I've found in the glove-box of a K 70-wreck.

Unfortunately the K 70 was never used as a police-car, so later I've swapped it with an NSU-freak (in the quartett is a pic of a police-NSU 1200) to a stripe of VW K 70-matches.

Interesting and important for police-car-freaks:
http://www.amazon.de/Deutsche-Polizeifahrzeuge-Frank-Schwede/dp/3613020807

Once I've looked inside the book. It's obviosly made very exactly

About police-cars from over the whole world:
http://www.sachbuchwelt.de/product_info.php?info=p8144_Polizeifahrzeuge---aus-aller-Welt.html

O.k., these books are written in German, but the pics and the technical informations should be interesting for non-German-speakers, too.

Shall I look for someone over here for the books or the quartett? No problem for me, when I'll visit the next oldtimer-markets.

In the land down under (Australia), we have Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons, Ford Territorys, Holden Crewmans, Holden Rodeos, Mercedes Vito vans and Toyota Landcrusiers. I also know of 'special' cars, used at booze buses. There is a Crysler 300C, Hummer H3 and in NSW a Lotus Elise!

In Texas I have seen in 1993, that the Highway Patrol had Mazda RX 7 in use.

Some Police cars at Toronto Airport
Peel Regional Police Chevrolet Tahoe

RCMP Chevrolet Impala

Customs Police Chevrolet Impala

Nice. That's a 2007-2008 Tahoe SSP (Special Service Package). Below is a 2005 Impala 9C1. I don't know about the Customs Impala. Nice pictures.

Spaeking of Impalas, you know something intersting I just learned? The Impala actually has a bench seat option! I mean, what car has a bench seat anymore, other than old-people cruisers like the Town Car and DTS?
Btw, does the police-pakage Impala have the bench or just buckets?

Not directly a police car, but perhaps anyone has a use for it:


http://www.vebeg.de/web/de/verkauf/browse.htm?DO_SUCHE=1&SUCH_KAT=MDIgUGt3IHVuZC- BsZWljaHRlIE51dHpmYWhyemV1Z2UgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIyBQYX- NzZW5nZXIgQ2FycyBhbmQgTGlnaHQgQ29tbWVyY2lhbHM=&statflag=1&zusatzlink=&SHOW_AUS=8- 2032&SHOW_LOS=1&nolistlink=1

No idea, I've never been in one.

No idea, I've never been in one. But I'd imagine that even if the bench option was available, no one would really want it. Bucket seats allow for the placement of radio equipment, mobile computers (MDTs) and of shotguns/rifles, among other things in between seats. Bench seats would not be a practical option for police cars.

Wow, you've never been in an Impala 9C1? Does the LAPD not use too many of them? Or is it just cause they just only give you the old, rejected 96-97 CVs and Caprices to use since you're a reserve officer?

I never said I was with the LAPD. I just know a lot about the patrol vehicles used in southern California. I think my department had one Impala for testing many years ago, before I joined up. But we haven't had any since then. The Impala 9C1 is a rarity for police departments here in California. Not saying they're not used, they're just a rarity.

Very intersting. I've noticed that the NYPD has tons of Impalas. So many in fact that there might even be more of them than Crown Vics. Although it's probably pretty close to 50/50. I don't understand why they use so many but no one else does... My city's department has oh, about 100 cars I'd say. And out of these cars only four are Impalas and the rest are Crown Vics. Isn't the Impala faster than the Crown Vic, and smaller and more nimble too? Not to mention ages ahead in mechanical technology. It's a mystery why more departments don't use them...

There are many different reasons why the Crown Victoria is much more popular than the Impala, but the main reason is that the Impala is a FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE car. They're just not as durable. The Impalas are much more cramped and rear-visibility sucks. Now, I did not test the Impala for my deparment all those years ago, so I couldn't tell you the real reason my department in particular doesn't use them. But simply putting it, the Crown Vics are more powerful than the Impalas. As for those money-strapped departments, here's other reasons to take into consideration:

The maintenance costs for the Impala are too high. Part for part the Chevy parts are much more expensive than the Fords. Plus, as we all know, the Crown Victoria has not changed much since 1998 and have a lot of parts interchangability, so when one gets wrecked they can reuse the parts. Also the Chevy does not have a frame under it, if it gets wrecked it's done for, the Fords stand up better to accidents and are easier to fix.

as is the Crown Victoria, isn't it?