CPS going black and white

[Stealth22]

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120503/CGY_black_white_120503/20120503/?hub=CalgaryHome


It's black and white for the Calgary police

Calgary police will be sporting new vehicles with a new paint job in an effort to improve officer and public safety.


Additionally, now that the Ford Crown Victoria is no longer being produced, the CPS is looking at new makes and models to replace their service vehicles.


The CPS has enough Crown Victorias to last them two years, but have decided to pilot a Dodge Charger.


In a release, the CPS says that the move to a black and white motif comes following research that says the cars possess enhanced visibility, public recognition, improved officer and public safety, and economic efficiencies.


The move would help the service save over $1M because of the current pricing of the vehicles and the reduced cost of the proposed decaling.


It will be at least two years before the first black and white vehicles are used in the field and up to five before the fleet is replaced.


Once the new vehicles and black and white theme comes out, police will start an awareness campaign to let the public know what the vehicles look like.

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20120503/430_black_white_120503_430241.jpg

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20120503/430_dodge_charger_120503_16089.jpg

[LadyLuck]

dig the new look :thumbsup:

[rage2]

Have fun keeping it clean haha.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by rage2
Have fun keeping it clean haha. Well dirt shows up just as quick on a white car, no?

And I like it. The blue/red stripe across the plain white was getting old. This looks real slick! :thumbsup:

[Kijho]

Actually looks good, more aggressive.
Only thing I hate is now I won't know what cop cars look like before they see me because I won't be used to the new look, takes years to have that shit down to the tee. :poosie:

[sabad66]

who cares how it looks? we should be worried about how much harder it will be to spot them :angel:

[black13]

Originally posted by Stealth22
Well dirt shows up just as quick on a white car, no?

And I like it. The blue/red stripe across the plain white was getting old. This looks real slick! :thumbsup:

Lols no black is the hardest to keep clean because the dirt and dust is lighter than black so they show themselves more as opposed to white or silver where dust can blend in more easily.

I like the colors though but yea gonna take some time to get used to these. I can spot a crown vic from a mile away :D

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by black13
Lols no black is the hardest to keep clean because the dirt and dust is lighter than black so they show themselves more as opposed to white or silver where dust can blend in more easily.

I like the colors though but yea gonna take some time to get used to these. I can spot a crown vic from a mile away :D Right. I don't know why I said that. Ignore me, I'm stupid when I'm tired. :facepalm:

The Charger is just a test car though. They said that Ford and GM are bidding for the contract as well. CPS has really seemed to like the Ford Explorer over the years for Sergeants, so I'd say Ford has the upper hand there. Although I have seen the odd fully marked Tahoe around as well (as in the newest variant), so they're probably testing cars and SUV's from all three of the Detroit automakers.

[know1edge]

damn those look like they're gonna be hard to spot in your rear mirrors

[DEATH2000]

If they keep the massive bush guard on the front im sure it wont be that hard to spot them.

[btimbit]

CBC article. has a bit more info


Calgary police unveiled a Dodge Charger prototype with black and white colours Thursday as the next potential vehicle to stock its future fleet.

The Ford Crown Victoria cars traditionally used by police are not being produced any longer and so Calgary police are trying out the Charger, a Ford Taurus and possibly a GM model to see which vehicle best suits the force's needs.

The department says the switch will improve officer and public safety as well as save money.

Based on pricing for the Chargers, and the reduced cost of the proposed decaling, the move could save the Calgary Police Service more than $1 million.

"Most importantly we are looking at efficiencies and cost," said Insp. Ken Thrower.

The police department says research also identified numerous benefits of changing its cruisers' colour, including enhanced visibility and public recognition.

Calgary police have enough Crown Victoria vehicles to cover the next two years of scheduled fleet replacements, and anticipate it will also be roughly two years before the first black and white vehicles are used in police operations.

It will take up to eight years before the entire fleet is replaced.

To maximize savings, the current police fleet of blue and white vehicles will not be altered.

CPS will be test driving the new vehicles at a variety of community events over the next year and still have to see if all of the traditional police equipment utilized inside the cab will fit.

They plan to launch an awareness campaign when the black and white cruisers officially take to the streets.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2012/05/03/li-bwcalgary-cop-cars-620.jpg

[corsvette]

Chevy offers a Caprice only for police use, based on the RWD Pontiac G8 platform. They have them in the US, I wonder if they offer them here as well.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by corsvette
Chevy offers a Caprice only for police use, based on the RWD Pontiac G8 platform. They have them in the US, I wonder if they offer them here as well.

Most likely, says they'll probably look at a GM


Originally posted by know1edge
damn those look like they're gonna be hard to spot in your rear mirrors

Won't be mistaking them for taxi's anymore

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I like the old scheme better. The white car feels a lot more friendly and Canadian. The black is bad ass but gives a bad vibe off to me.

[btimbit]

I like it on the Explorer above but on the Charger it looks weird

[ianmcc]

I saw the Charger at Westwinds yesterday. I wondered why there was a new color scheme up there and this makes total sence.

[ExtraSlow]

Ford is coming out with a new interceptor, based on the taurus, as well as a police version of the new explorer.
Ford - 2012 interceptor (http://www.ford.com/fordpoliceinterceptor/)

I saw a CPS explorer ghost car this week. They've done a nice job on the strobes, none of them are mounted in the window, it's all done through the grille, mirrors and factor head/tail lights. When they are off, I'll bet it's nearly impossible to distinguish from a civilian version, aside from the cheapo wheels.

[dj_rice]

Heres the cruisers in Edmonton. Looks meaner and very easy to spot I say.

http://policecanada.org/policeca/ab/edmontonps/EdmontonAB136.jpg

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Eleanor]

Just look for the black registration tags :thumbsup:

[sputnik]

Winnipeg switched to black and white last year as well.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2010/07/28/cruisercar.jpg

[FraserB]

Ghost cars are easy to spot, just have to look at the antennae to to see the difference. No civilian car has 3 spearate ones on the roof. I have seen a few with regular registration stickers though, so I dont think they all have a fleet tag.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by FraserB
Ghost cars are easy to spot, just have to look at the antennae to to see the difference. No civilian car has 3 spearate ones on the roof. I have seen a few with regular registration stickers though, so I dont think they all have a fleet tag.

The ghost CVPIs and Chargers, yeah, but CPS has some other ghosts that have no exterior antennas at all. Their black Durango and tan WK Grand Cherokee have no exterior mods that I saw.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[clem24]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


These won't be so bad to spot, however the unmarked ghost cars are becoming damn near impossible to spot.


The photo radar ones are even worse... They are essentially civilian cars. The latest one I've seen is a light blue Ford Escape. At least in the past, the minivan was a dead giveaway but now it looks like any normal car parked on the side of the road! :eek:

[K3RMiTdot]

theres already a new explorer floating around the city, its still got the old blue and white.
Along with that new charger which is blue... i dont think ive seen another blue charger in the city yet

[beyond_ban]

I've seen a band new blue charger around the airport. As well as a bright yellow crown vic that looks just like a cop.

[DEATH2000]

Originally posted by btimbit
CBC article. has a bit more info



http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2012/05/03/li-bwcalgary-cop-cars-620.jpg
Are they going to actually keep these massive bush guards now? I wanna see if they start ramming idiots.


On that note, CPS also has an unarked Nissan Pathfinder. Saw it pull someone over on 90th Ave SW.

[theken]

all the unmarked units are getting crazy, I have seen the jeep numerous times, now I slow down for jeeps, explorers, crown vics, chargers, and those big ford units, I can't remember the name.
I saw a red civic once, but it was probably like a detective or homicide or something in his personal vehicle, but he had someone pulled over and he had a shotgun up front.

[jsn]

Originally posted by FraserB
Ghost cars are easy to spot, just have to look at the antennae to to see the difference. No civilian car has 3 spearate ones on the roof. I have seen a few with regular registration stickers though, so I dont think they all have a fleet tag.

Like mentioned, the ghost cars are getting tricky. I saw a white ford truck the other day with a big tool box on the back. It looked like what you'd see some contractors with at construction sites. It pulled someone over right in front of me.

Those new black vehicles look like they'd be alot harder to spot in your rear view mirror.

[swak]

Originally posted by jsn


Like mentioned, the ghost cars are getting tricky. I saw a white ford truck the other day with a big tool box on the back. It looked like what you'd see some contractors with at construction sites. It pulled someone over right in front of me.

Those new black vehicles look like they'd be alot harder to spot in your rear view mirror.

Yeah, the work truck (ghost car) is a good one... especially in this town.
Fleet tags fit in with its demographic as well


EDIT:
I quite like the new winnipeg fleet... Quite......
Looks a tonn better than their old cars (which were not the best looking imo).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Winnipeg_police.jpg/800px-Winnipeg_police.jpg

[flipstah]

That's a crazy set-up. I dig the bumpers!

As mentioned, will have to get used to spotting these.

CPS has an array of ghost cars. I saw a Dodge Ram ghost car when I thought that CPS was Ford country.

Completely threw me off kilter.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by flipstah

CPS has an array of ghost cars. I saw a Dodge Ram ghost car when I thought that CPS was Ford country.

Completely threw me off kilter.

Got pulled over by a Nissan Frontier. Was next to him in traffic for 10 minutes and didn't know it was a cop until I pushed a yellow light a bit more than I should have. Boy was I surprised!

[K3RMiTdot]

the dodge ram is silver with a tool box in the back im pretty sure. they getting tricky

[Stealth22]

Bump...Top Gear US episode on the Crown Vic replacements.

http://www.history.com/shows/top-gear/videos/playlists/season-3-full-episodes#top-gear-police-cars

EDIT: God damn it, they took it down. It was there until the second episode aired. I didn't think they'd delete it. :rolleyes:

[HiSpec]

I am starting to wonder if CPS are equipping officers' own personal vehicle with light bars and such, and paying them mileage (kind of like personal work trucks, where company pays for your mileage). Unlikely, but just a thought that came to mind.

[Zhariak]

The article says they aren't using the new black and white vehicles for 2 years?

I've seen 2 of the new AWESOME cop cars on the road in the past 7 days!

[Stealth22]

I drove by their complex in Westwinds a couple weeks ago, and the billboard outside said "Fleet Services" on it, along with "Investigative Services".

Out in the parking lot, I saw both a Ford Interceptor and a new Dodge Charger.

So they are definitely testing them.


Originally posted by HiSpec
I am starting to wonder if CPS are equipping officers' own personal vehicle with light bars and such, and paying them mileage (kind of like personal work trucks, where company pays for your mileage). Unlikely, but just a thought that came to mind.
I don't think so. All the CPS ghost cars I've seen have fleet registration stickers on the license plates, so they are all city owned. I know Honolulu Police do that to save costs. Last time I was there, I saw a police officer in his personal vehicle outfitted with lighting. He had a white Ford Taurus SHO. Basically, he didn't want to wait for the actual Interceptor to come out. :rofl:

[95EagleAWD]

Most of the cruisers in Edmonton are black and white now and we've had bump guards for years. Every Crown Vic has them and all the testing Chargers have the guards on them.

We went them for our fleet too. :(

[dj_patm]

Top Gear US just did a comparison on the big three and their police offerings.

The Ford Interceptor looked pimp.

[dj_patm]

Also fyi I've seen a green Murano and my buddy said he saw an altima pull someone over too.

[FraserB]

I really don't see the point in the push bars, they are pretty useless against anything more than a small car.

[ExtraSlow]

Not really useless. Protects the radiator during an impact so even if the car is visually damaged, it can continue to be useable until the current call is concluded.
No point having a car that will be disabled after a simple PIT maneuver.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD
Most of the cruisers in Edmonton are black and white now and we've had bump guards for years. Every Crown Vic has them and all the testing Chargers have the guards on them.

We went them for our fleet too. :( If it were me, just based on what I've seen and read (obviously, none of us...well except maybe you, being a police officer lol, have driven any of these cars), I would pick the Ford Interceptor, and I would take it with the twin turbo EcoBoost. I doubt the bean counters would go for that option though. :(

I was just looking at the Ford Fleet brochure though, and I was surprised to read that the Interceptor comes standard with AWD. I thought that was an option. For a city like Calgary, I can see that scoring points for Ford.

Are the Edmonton Police decided on the Charger going forward, or are they still in a testing period, like CPS? Because like I said, I've seen the Interceptor and Charger at the CPS lot in Westwinds. And I have a feeling that one might want to follow what the other does.

I also remember reading somewhere (need to go and Google this to verify) that the Caprice PPV will not be available in Canada, at least not initially. IMO, that's a bad move. Canadian departments would not want to wait around for GM; they could lose a ton of business to Ford and Chrysler if that's indeed true.

For anyone that wants to read all the PR material on these cars, have at it.

Ford Interceptor (Sedan & Utility) (http://dev.realartusa.com/WUNDI/12472/www/assets/ford/microsites/policeinterceptor/pdfs/13_PoliceSpecialService.pdf)

Dodge Charger (http://www.fleetchrysler.ca/en/pdf/137333_CDN_Charger_Enforcer.pdf)

FYI, the new Ford SUV's that you see decked out in CPS colors is NOT the Interceptor Utility. Its just the civilian Explorer. My guess is, they needed SUV's to replace the older Explorers and couldn't wait.

[95EagleAWD]

EPS is still in evaluation of the Charger and from what I hear, it's not going well. Nobody really likes them; they're small everywhere on the inside.

We have CVs at our department, and it looks like our next cruiser will be a Ford Interceptor. We get new cars every two years with our new budget so we're all looking forward to a new unit!

[lil brown]

I've been pulled over by an undercover silver Durange before...

Also the the trucks they use usually have a big silver toolbox in the back

[dino_martini]

Spotted a new black and white cruiser at Tim hortons
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/martman104/14EBFB46-14DF-4DEF-A082-3B1877FA9121-2744-0000059AE3B9FBF0.jpg

My favorite ghost car is the new blue charger
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/martman104/C489CC02-CFE5-4226-958A-F595B54FA4F8-2744-0000059AEB87412F.jpg

[btimbit]

First pics I've seen of the new Interceptor in Calgary

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7804442026_b07c946177_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7804430508_c5ea14e1a2_b.jpg

Looks like agencies all across Canada are following similar colour schemes. Does anyone know why?

http://policecanada.org/policeca/on/hamilton/HamiltonON350.jpg

I know OPP did back in 2007, very similar to what CPS is going with

http://www.policecanada.org/New5.jpg

I think Calgary's look the best

[Stealth22]

Damn, that Interceptor looks slick! I'd like to see it with the Charger's livery.

And to answer your question, its cheaper to go black and white. I'm not well versed in how it all works, but I think I read somewhere that the white paint on the front doors is just a wrap.

It looks better than the white/blue livery they have now! :thumbsup:

[clemmy26]

These guys have been watching too much Robocop.

My Valentine picked up some prick driving an unmarked navy blue F150 a few weeks ago...

[Toma]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Just look for the black registration tags :thumbsup:

I'm not worried about a cop if I am behind him lol!

[Twenty]

Originally posted by btimbit
First pics I've seen of the new Interceptor in Calgary

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7804442026_b07c946177_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7804430508_c5ea14e1a2_b.jpg


I may have driven that. :D

The new Interceptors are really nice, definitely an upgrade from the Crown Vics.

[chowd3r]

Originally posted by btimbit
[B]First pics I've seen of the new Interceptor in Calgary

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7804430508_c5ea14e1a2_b.jpg/B]

Time to memorize these headlights, haha.