Why Are Most American Police Cars American Cars?

Have you ever noticed that most police vehicles you see on the road are from American manufacturers? The Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, and Chevy Tahoe are modern American police cars you’ll often cross paths with. Most popular police vehicles come from big-name American companies like Chevrolet and Ford, and it’s been that way for years. But is there a reason police cars in the USA are mostly from American manufacturers?

Local Purchasing Policy

To support and encourage local manufacturers and businesses, the American government generally aims to “buy American” as much as possible. It prefers spending taxpayer dollars on local products, which in this case includes police vehicles with their many added accessories. This purchasing policy offers a number of benefits, including stimulating the local economy, strengthening the American industrial base, and providing jobs.

Upfit Options and Suitability

Local vehicle manufacturers also offer dedicated police package deals, competing with each other in terms of price and suitability. These packages include various modifications and features that differentiate police vehicles from the regular, run-of-the-mill vehicles you see on the street. Most importantly, they’re up to police standards and service ready. These vehicles are ready for upfit accessories like police radios, radar units, and partitions. Ford and its local competitors have been offering these packages for decades now. These local manufacturers cater to and are most familiar with what police cars need to protect American streets.

Speaking of suitability, there’s the matter of what makes American cars so suited to be police cars. In most other countries, officers making an arrest will transport their prisoners in a dedicated van. In the USA, police transport their prisoners to the jail directly in their police vehicles. With their large passenger compartments, US vehicles are suited to accommodate these prisoners along with the prisoner cage to protect the officers. Foreign vehicles don’t always have that kind of space, and those that do tend to be pricey.

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Parts Availability

Finally, it’s a hard road for any police vehicles out there. Hours sitting idle and high-speed chases can quickly wear down parts, which is why parts availability is so important. If the government imports police vehicles, they’ll then have to worry about importing parts for those vehicles. It’s easier and more cost-effective to find replacement parts for vehicles manufactured locally.

And there you have it. Now you know why most American police cars are from American manufacturers. The government has a good number of reasons to buy American cars for the police. In short, American police vehicles are a good use of taxpayer dollars, are best suited for local needs, and are easy to maintain thanks to their available parts.