I’m writing an article on police liveries for my pals over at BoldRide.com, and I remembered that a looong, long time ago (2002, to be exact), I wrote an article for the Boston Globe on that very subject. Still a pretty neat story. I always enjoy interviewing people who know what the hell they’re talking about.It is the image of a police department that people see virtually every day, even if they don’t end up talking to an officer. And, police officials say, the colors and designs of police cars can be important symbols for the department.
“Our cruisers reflect the entire community,” said Lexington (Mass.) Police Lieutenant Mike O’Connell. “They tell the community what the Police Department is about.”
In Lexington, the colors are blue and gold, a consistent scheme throughout the town from police cruisers, to highway department trucks and the high school marching band. The colors and the motto, “Community and Service,” are meant to reflect a department that emphasizes service rather than strike a militaristic tone.
Decades ago, police cruisers were so commonly black and white that “black-and-white” became everyday shorthand for “police car.” But over the years times and colors changed, though some communities have returned to the old standard or never changed it.
The design aspects of a police cruiser are not handed down by a state agency. “Accreditation standards only require that the patrol car be equipped with some type of emergency lights and sirens,” according to Donna Taylor-Mooers, director of the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. Taylor-Mooers said that the design decisions are left largely to the discretion of local officials.
In Bedford, Police Chief James Hicks is not crazy about the color of his patrol cars, which are standard white Ford Crown Victorias. “If it were up to me, I’d change them tomorrow,” he said. Hicks feels the cars just don’t stand out. He would prefer a bolder color than white to signal authority.
But Hicks may have to wait a while to make a change. “To be honest, I’ve only been in the job here for four months,” he said. “Our new cars that are coming in shortly were ordered before I got here.”
In Carlisle, Police Chief David Galvin said white “projects a certain, more positive image to the public.”
These days, a white Crown Victoria can be a blank canvas for individual departments to customize with multi-colored adhesive vinyl. Add the safety benefit of 3M’s Scotchlite retroreflective tape, and departments can legitimately justify the cost as a safety expense.
Today’s reflective tape can be seen from 800 feet away. Different colors are available, but the white material lights up the brightest, even in foggy or smoky conditions, a fact that has averted many collisions on poorly lit roads.
Communities such as Bedford and Lexington incorporate bits of town history on their police cars. Bedford prominently features the Bedford Flag, one of the oldest surviving Colonial militia flags from the Revolutionary War. Lexington cruisers feature a minuteman.
William Chase said that when he came aboard as Harvard’s police chief seven years ago, he was closely involved in designing a new, modern look for his cruisers.
“The colors tie in with the uniforms, which are blue and gray,” said Chase. “The letters spelling out `Harvard Police’ are distinctive and bold. And I know for a fact that we were one of the first police departments to list our Web address on the rear bumper.”
Perhaps the most traditional department in terms of color and markings is the Massachusetts State Police. Cruisers like those parked at the barracks in Concord have been the same colors since the late 1930s, according to State Police Sergeant David Payne.
“In June of 1933, the Massachusetts State Police changed from forest green uniforms – like a forest ranger’s – to French blue shirts and electric blue pants,” said Payne. The uniform was recognizable especially when the troopers were using their primary mode of transportation, the motorcycle. As more and more troopers went into cruisers, the uniform was less of a distinctive feature on the road.
Then in 1939, the Massachusetts State Police took its colors outside. The French blue and electric blue transferred from uniform to sheetmetal.
“The colors allow troopers to be recognized, even when inside their cars,” said Payne. “Those colors are a symbol of the troop.”
And so it has been ever since.
(Photo Credit: copcardotcom.fotki.com)
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