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Charger/Challenger Police Cars

13K views 58 replies 25 participants last post by  Slidd 
#1 ·
Law enforcement has been using Chargers for quite some time. Not quite the interior room as the Crown Vic's, but better in some other ways. However, I'm seeing more and more Challenger police cars. Why? Seems to me performance, mileage, etc are comparable, why give up the interior space?
 
#3 ·
On Live PD on friday and saturday nights, some of marked police cars are challengers. It was either South Carolina or Florida, not sure.
 
#9 ·
The Richland County Sheriff's Department has had Challengers for several years. I don't know how many they are still using, but they're replacing them with Cameros. :surprise:
I just checked and found they have moved some of the Challengers to the patrol division, so they are still using them.

Personally, I can't imagine patrolling in a Camaro with the limited interior space and the bad visibility out of them.
But they do make bada$$-looking patrol cars!
 
#6 ·
See a few around here in Oregon (Portland area) - they're more unmarked, have tinted windows and one had ghosted graphics.

Ore. State Patrol has been running unmarked Mustangs (pre '15s) unmarked with tinted windows.

As well as local PD...its fun to watch them nab the unsuspecting and the blue & red lights that are concealed light up...many take the bait or go speeding past, thinking they're 'civilian' cars.
 
#16 ·
I think it has to do with changing the profile of the car. People get used to looking for the standard police cruiser shapes. Are surprised but something different. Here on the freeways for years you'd watch for Highway Patrol coming up behind you, or stopped at the top of on ramps to catch you speeding. Now with the laser radar, you come around a corner and you are nabbed. Unless you are in a big group of cars, they can focus right on you. I think a very low percentage of speeding tickets come from pacing you any more. A Guy
 
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#17 ·
Chester Co., SC has at least one unmarked Challenger, an all black '15 R/T assigned to one of the Majors. I remember those LeMans Enforcers. They handled well but were underpowered. Seems like the highway patrol got some but when they realized how slow they were they were shifted to other state agencies.
 
#21 ·
I remember those Catoosa County cars. There was an article in Car and Driver about them. They interviewed the sheriff, and he said "ain't nobody going to outrun my boys". I was a deputy at the time and was quite jealous.
 
#25 ·
I wonder if they can put prisoners in the back? Likely not, just for pursuit and call a SUV to transport

A Guy
 
#29 ·
Haven't seen them with the Highway Patrol though. I remember in the 80's and 90's the 5.0 Mustangs were everywhere then they went to the Camaros but not as many so we'll see what they do with these. Even with the paint scheme, they'll be pretty stealthy.

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#33 ·
Most likely a 70 zone, which most of Florida is, so doing 142 in a 70 zone to catch someone doing 90MPH and burning the taxpayers car to the ground.

Police are lenient here. You can pretty much do 80-85 and the cops won't bother you ( hwy 75 at least ), hit 20 over and they'll go after you.
 
#34 ·
Cop should be fired for extreme reckless operation and putting motorists at risk. And then he pulls a hot catalytic converter onto the tall grass. Not real bright. "I don't recommend you do that", yeah no kidding, nobody does. Glad to see something being done but the trooper is lucky to still have a job imho.



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#36 · (Edited)
Was watching the video above of the cop car on fire. Betting that "customer" had quite a story to tell of getting out of a ticket that day.
Also interesting to note from that high speed police pursuit, amazing how many drivers don't seem to notice the flashing lights or hear the deafening siren behind them. They just dawdle along blocking both lanes of traffic just like they do every day when the rest of us are trying to pass.

A friend told me about the new Florida Hwy Patrol Challengers. A friend of his works at the shop where they modify new Challengers to outfit them as police units. He's working on them right now. Looking at the pictures, I noticed the cars don't have the 6 piston Brembo front brakes. Not sure, but the wheels don't look like Scat Pack offerings. I'm thinking these are R/T's with the 5.7 Hemi. Any bets here?
 
#37 ·
A friend told me about the new Florida Hwy Patrol Challengers. A friend of his works at the shop where they modify new Challengers to outfit them as police units. He's working on them right now. Looking at the pictures, I noticed the cars don't have the 6 piston Brembo front brakes. Not sure, but the wheels don't look like Scat Pack offerings. I'm thinking these are R/T's with the 5.7 Hemi. Any bets here?
From the images Slidd posted earlier in the thread, they are the 5.7.
 
#40 ·
I just celebrated my 27th year completed as a Police Officer on 6/30. Seems like yesterday I was in the NYPD Academy, then underground in the subways of the Brooklyn ghetto's on the MidNite shift, for 11 years. 3 murders a night, just in my area! Too many shots fired to count. I'm still wondering if I will end up with some form of cancer from my World Trade Center 9/11 days. Too many funerals to count. Then I won the lottery and moved on to a smaller suburbs police department , where I grew up. No commute and more pay ! Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner ! Three years and three months to go until I retire and just hope to stay healthy and safe long enough to collect my retirement money and finally start to enjoy my life. Most people just don't realize what a cop goes through every day they work and why alot of us get the attitudes that we do. Most of the people that we deal with, lie to our faces, have absolutely no common sense and feel that the rules only apply to other people. Yep......3 years , 3 months....but who is counting ! I'm gonna miss the clowns, but not the circus !
 

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#41 ·
My post might indicate otherwise, but I appreciate the police more than I resent them.

I don't blame officers for upholding the law, but if they're sitting pretty in their patrol car with a speed gun out the side, they're being glorified revenue collectors and it makes people feel awkward around the law. Your thoughts go from "this person is keeping me safe" to "this person is going to nail me on some minor thing and cause me financial inconvenience".


But my problem with that extends WAY past the officer and has to do more with our politicians and the fact that driver's ed SOMEHOW still isn't part of every High School curriculum.
 
#42 ·
movnviol, thanks for being there every day when needed

A Guy
 
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