Ford police vehicles

[y_p_w]

I just happened to be near a large police headquarters recently. Just shopping, but being cheap the closest free parking was a bit away and I walked past the police HQ. They still have a few Crown Vic patrol cars, and I saw them being driven. But they're mostly running Explorer based Police Interceptors, which has got to be the number one police vehicle in the US at this point.

But then on the street I saw dedicated police parking. Mostly vehicles with California exempt plates. Some were the old Taurus based Police Interceptor. I looked in and none were really decked out with computers and all the stuff you'd see in a marked squad car, but they all had radio handsets in the center. But for the most part they didn't look much like police vehicles unless one looked closely.

But the one I never saw before was a hybrid Fusion based "Police Responder". I'd never really noticed those before. They had a little "POLICE RESPONDER" badge on the left back.

As far as I could tell, these didn't look like patrol cars, although some stuff says that they've been used as such. I think these unmarked vehicles were basically used by detectives. Not sure if I've ever seen any used as a marked patrol vehicle although I've found images of them in that use.

 

[fantastic]

Yeah Explorers are thick w/police. What bothered me the other day at WM was seeing a "Law Enforcement" parking spot in handicapped parking... that's not right!

 

[rstcso]

Not all vehicles are used for patrol. When I was in the department years ago, our detectives drove the Taurus. There are quite a few non-LE roles, e.g. victim services, etc, which often were personal vehicles, but operating in an official capacity.

My favorite was the Caprise. Those boats would run circles around the Crown Vic. Straight-line, the Vics didn't have a change. When I went through the sheriff's academy, our driving course was relatively small, with very few straights. One of the other people going through was a supervisor in the jail and used his department-issued Taurus during the driving course. It was nimble compared to the others, and he and I tied for the top spot, and I was driving the Caprise.

 

[shortyb]

Ford has been in the police/LE vehicle business for many years and has used most of their 4 door fleet, sedan, SUV, or pick-up, in some form or another to supply departments. I've driven all of the ones that they did from the battle tank Crown Vics all the way to my most recent whip, the Explorer PUV (Police Utility Vehicle). The ones with dedicated Interceptor packages are regular offerings with supplemented options that are designed with law enforcement use in mind, such as vinyl rubber flooring instead of carpet, center consoles with room for radio and computer mounts, heavy duty suspension, bigger alternators for increased electronics, increased cooling capacity for engine and trans, and sometimes special wheels and tires that are pursuit rated. Lots of departments are now using F-150s, which Ford calls their Police Responder. They also include the Expedition, Ford Lightening F-150, Mustang Mach E, and a Transit van for prisoner transport in their police vehicle line-up now. The recent Explorer is the best IMHO to have design touches included with LE use in mind. My favorite feature was the police idle feature. Push a button and the vehicle stays running and can be locked. The trans can't be moved from park until the vehicle is unlocked and the idle button pushed again. Until you've had that sinking feeling of watching someone drive off in your running patrol car, you can't really appreciate this feature (I never have, but know a few that did).

Our training academy in Columbia uses an almost exclusive fleet of Crown Vics from retired Highway Patrol use for training vehicles. They have a dedicated garage facility and a whole bunch of mechanics on staff that do nothing but repair/restore these vehicles to almost new condition. It's amazing what new bearings and bushings will do to transform an old Vic into a great track running machine. Local Sheriff's office has added 2 Mustang GTs to their fleet as well for traffic enforcement. While not a dedicated police package, I think they will get the job done just fine. SCHP had (has) a few of these as well. I rmember hearing a trooper and a citizen having a conversation about it and the citizen complain that HP was being sneaky with the use of the "slick-top" (marked, but no roof-mounted bar light) 'Stang. Trooper responded, "yeah, thats so dam undiplomatic of us now isn't it?'". Love it .

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Does LAPD still have a parking lot of unused crown victorias? They will probably be running crown victorias after the last
civilian ones have been destroyed by Garett Mitchell

One of our local towns has a few patrol vehicles dedicated to a unit that's some sort of volunteer police. I don't know much about them other than they don't carry a sidearm and they always seem to be driving around Walmart's parking lot.

 

[SevenBizzos]

The Interceptors are trash. It pains me to say it. The 15-18 models work OK and are the standard. My 2015 sill runs but has some quirks. The 20s were a hybrid abomination and my place is still shipping them off at auction whenever possible. The vehicles had a big availability problem for a few years. The new 24's with the standard gas engine have been working OK, but a lot of the fleet is getting replaced by Durangos. I've seen the Fusions outfitted for service work. I think those have a place and look pretty cool.

 

[Fordiesel69]

PA seems to be using a mix now of mostly tahoe's, chargers, and durangos. I hear the 2020 explorers were absolute trash and I am a ford guy myself.

People trash talk the 2013 ~ 2019 explorer (FPIU) and taurus (FPIS) but these seem to age very well and hold up overall. I bought a rear end collision taurus for parts with 12,000 idle hours, 147K, and the drivers seat was junk. The engine runs like new, and the front end mechanicals all original.

Crown vics were the absolute best. Just intake manifolds, and exaust manifold studs, and the rest was just basic maint. Ford never did fix the broken manifold stud issue and chevy and dodge copied.

If you drive them all, nothing handles better than a 2013 ~ 2018 taurus (FPIS). Power to handling is superub

 

[tmorris1]

Yeah Explorers are thick w/police. What bothered me the other day at WM was seeing a "Law Enforcement" parking spot in handicapped parking... that's not right!

DEI. Maybe he was disabled.

 

[MNgopher]

Our affiliated law enforcement unit had been primarily Ford based units for several years. However, with low bid pricing and availability problems, we've flipped to nearly all new units being Durangos.

 

[fantastic]

DEI. Maybe he was disabled.

Not sure what DEI is? The sign is pretty clear that it's "for our law enforcement partners" meaning active. I don't know 100% but the sign reads pretty clearly. A disabled parking spot for active law enforcement "Partners". Oh well, nothing I can do about it but complain...weep!

 

[CKN]

PA seems to be using a mix now of mostly tahoe's, chargers, and durangos. I hear the 2020 explorers were absolute trash and I am a ford guy myself.

People trash talk the 2013 ~ 2019 explorer (FPIU) and taurus (FPIS) but these seem to age very well and hold up overall. I bought a rear end collision taurus for parts with 12,000 idle hours, 147K, and the drivers seat was junk. The engine runs like new, and the front end mechanicals all original.

Crown vics were the absolute best. Just intake manifolds, and exaust manifold studs, and the rest was just basic maint. Ford never did fix the broken manifold stud issue and chevy and dodge copied.

If you drive them all, nothing handles better than a 2013 ~ 2018 taurus (FPIS). Power to handling is superub

The 2020 Explorers were trash right off the assembly line-even for civilian use, I can imagine how quickly law enforcement saw the defects that made them the glaring pieces of garbage that they really were.
They recalled over 85,000 Interceptors due to potential motor fires.

 

[Fordiesel69]

The 2020 Explorers were trash right off the assembly line-even for civilian use, I can imagine how quickly law enforcement saw the defects that made them the glaring pieces of garbage that they really were.
They recalled over 85,000 Interceptors due to potential motor fires.

What year did they iron the bugs out?

 

[tmorris1]

Not sure what DEI is? The sign is pretty clear that it's "for our law enforcement partners" meaning active. I don't know 100% but the sign reads pretty clearly. A disabled parking spot for active law enforcement "Partners". Oh well, nothing I can do about it but complain...weep!

Your post said handicapped parking so I thought maybe they hired a disabled cop.

 

[y_p_w]

I was surprised with the Fusion based car since it’s still FWD.

 

[earlyre]

I was surprised with the Fusion based car since it’s still FWD.

Back in.... 18, or 19...last time i was car shopping... I was set on getting a hybrid. the Bargain ( under $10k)Lot associated with the mainline Dodge/Jeep/Buick/GMC/Hyundai /etc dealership kept getting in a bunch of First Gen Fusion Hybrids ( the boxier ones, pre-2012), and they'd Disappear faster than you could go look at them. they'd be listed online one day, drive out the next, Gone...
Turns out the City PD was buying them up for "non- Patrol" uses...

 

[John105]

I would have thought Tahoe was displacing Ford, and Stellantis was dead last. Although Stellantis I thought was way cheaper so you'll see outfilts like the PA and OH state police with them (heard they had cooling issues), whereas the locals will have brand new Tahoes.

My wife is friends with a female cop so while the officer was picking people off speeding through a school zone, she thumbs up my wife. At any rate, she told my wife you don't want a Tahoe, it's too big and too slow. It's good for canine use but I've lost more than a couple people in pursuit.

Imho Tahoe for SUV, and Charger for sedan would be my choice

 

[edyvw]

I would have thought Tahoe was displacing Ford, and Stellantis was dead last. Although Stellantis I thought was way cheaper so you'll see outfilts like the PA and OH state police with them (heard they had cooling issues), whereas the locals will have brand new Tahoes.

My wife is friends with a female cop so while the officer was picking people off speeding through a school zone, she thumbs up my wife. At any rate, she told my wife you don't want a Tahoe, it's too big and too slow. It's good for canine use but I've lost more than a couple people in pursuit.

Imho Tahoe for SUV, and Charger for sedan would be my choice

They prefer here Explorer because of turbo.

 

[MNgopher]

What year did they iron the bugs out?

'21s and up have a better reputation from those who actually own and operate them...

Full disclosure: I own a '21 Explorer that's been solid. One loose under trim panel (secured with a few stainless nuts and washers instead of the factory ones) and a window switch that's flakes some trim off of it in 61k miles...

Bigger issue in recent years has been availability - they've had parts issues that have plagued both the interceptor and civilian models making them difficult to acquire in certain time periods. (Ie: The dealer would not sell models that had required recalls with no part availability).

 

[John105]

'21s and up have a better reputation from those who actually own and operate them...

Full disclosure: I own a '21 Explorer that's been solid. One loose under trim panel (secured with a few stainless nuts and washers instead of the factory ones) and a window switch that's flakes some trim off of it in 61k miles...

Bigger issue in recent years has been availability - they've had parts issues that have plagued both the interceptor and civilian models making them difficult to acquire in certain time periods.

Isn't that generation a true RWD platform, and they beefed them up to sustain a 50 mph rear end collision or something like that? I know I was intrigued by the newer gen and ST model. But we've ultimately gone Tahoe ourselves...

 

[MNgopher]

Yes - they returned to a true RWD platform with AWD available. Not a true 4WD system no matter what the badging may say.

Can't help you on the crash rating - wasn't part of our process in buying.

The 2.3 turbo has plenty of power and can use it with the 10 speed. Set up on snow tires its been our favorite winter vehicle yet... and if the snow is less than 6 inches my preferred snow machine. Helps make decisions being Hockey parents - hockey never cancels