should this concern me (pics, 56k be warned)

[smileyeagle1021]

I've noticed yesterday, not one, but two cop cars with advertising on them
One (which I didn't get a picture of, it was passing me on the 215) was advertising a dodge dealership, and the other (which I did get a picture of) I parked next to at Red Robin (btw, thanks Fenrus, I owe you) was advertising a company called VLS. And yes, as far as I could tell both had the excempt plates that I assume mean they are active duty.

Attached is proof of the madness

[Evil Queen]

THAT is a cop car?? Are we sure??

[smileyeagle1021]

EQ, I'm pretty sure I saw excempt plates, there was a radar gun mounted on the dash as well as a dashboard cam (can't really see it in the pic, the cam was mounted on the rearview mirror, and the radar is mounted where it is blocked by drivers door frame)... and at least the one advertising dodge had a uniformed highway patrol person in it (or at least it looked like highway patrol)

[Javarod]

They are, and they aren't. Years ago, and i mean years, back when Chevy was pushing the Lumina as a police car IIRC (they'd done away with the Caprice and was pushing their largest FWD car, i believe that's the Lumina), they had a few demo models they'd lend out to departments for a test drive, or to auto magazines for reviews. At the time i was delivering auto parts in Long Branch, NJ, and for a bit you saw it running around on patrol there, it stood out as it was a different model, different paint job, and different lighting, but it was being used as a regular patrol car. What you likely saw was the Dodge equivalent, likely a Charger as they're pushing that for police use, and the other one, VLS looks from the tag line under their name to be a lighting company, likely an LED light manufacturer as many of the lights on patrol cars are switching to LED (there's some really neat products out there), so that's likely a demo car either loaned out to the department, or in the area to demonstrate product to the department.

[Mr Yuck]

If the police wanted to advertise on their cars, I would offer up an emphatic "go for it."
I would be more than happy to let advertiser's pick up part of the tab for keeping local law enforcment agency's funded.

[crazylegs]

They could be loan cars from the local dealership who want's to get on the good side of the local PD.

(and yes, LEDs are fantastic, much brighter in daylight than strobe filament bulbs)

[PepperElf]

.... Hmmm advertising on cop cars...

Will I go to hell if I say... I want to see one advertising beer?

[JustADude]

Will I go to hell if I say... I want to see one advertising beer?

Nope. After all, even cops (hell, especially cops!) need a drink occasionally.

I can see one add with an arrow below the driver's window saying "Drink here", then an & symbol and another arrow pointing to the back seat window and "Ride Here", with like "Budweiser: Drink Responsibly" below that.

[wraiths_crono]

Out in west Phoenix, they have marked cards: 2 Chargers 10 Impalas, a Camero, and a Magnum. they have adverts for the avondale police department: how to join and such. However one of their UC is a big 4-door dodge ram 1500, wrapped in a dealers logo stuffs.

[otakuneko]

I put police lights into google after reading the thread. For ~$70 you can have visor-lights like an unmarked car! Course, you probably have to represent a law enforcement agency to buy them. But you see, I drive an Impala, and a blue one at that, nigh indistinguishable from the cars one of the speedtrap towns around here uses....

That'd be fun to do at night. Slowpoke in front of me? Flip down the visor, hit the switch and zoom by their ass when they pull over.

[crazylegs]

That'd be fun to do at night. Slowpoke in front of me? Flip down the visor, hit the switch and zoom by their ass when they pull over.

Perhaps not, I know in the UK there is specific legislation protecting the use of flashing blue lamps for purely emergency vehicle use only.

[Shangri-laschild]

Perhaps not, I know in the UK there is specific legislation protecting the use of flashing blue lamps for purely emergency vehicle use only.

The US has that as well, though I believe here it's red, not blue.

[Jack7957]

The US has that as well, though I believe here it's red, not blue.

Depends on the area. Some are just red, some just blue, some use both. Up here, in Syracuse, red is cops, blue is volunteer firefighter. There's even green, which I think is for EMTs.

[prb]

I put police lights into google after reading the thread. For ~$70 you can have visor-lights like an unmarked car! Course, you probably have to represent a law enforcement agency to buy them. But you see, I drive an Impala, and a blue one at that, nigh indistinguishable from the cars one of the speedtrap towns around here uses....

That'd be fun to do at night. Slowpoke in front of me? Flip down the visor, hit the switch and zoom by their ass when they pull over.

You can get them on eBay. Sellers there won't care who you are, and if they do, say it's for a snow removal service or tow truck.

Also, in Ontario these are the colours used:
Red/Blue - Police
Yellow - Police, Tow Truck, Private Security, basically anyone
Green - Volunteer Fire
Blue - Snow Removal
Purple - Funeral

[crazylegs]

Also, in Ontario these are the colours used:

Just in case anyone wishes to know what the UKs are
Blue- Police, Fire, Ambulance, Mountain/Cave Rescue etc.
Amber - Any vehicle moving at less than 10mph or a vehicle that is stationary and is warning others of its location
Green - Doctors (cannot break Road Traffic Act laws)
Red - Flashing red lamps may only be illuminated at the rear of stationary emergency vehicles