Police vehicles in the United States and Canada

Officially-marketed American and Canadian police vehicles—as in those officially marketed as such by their manufacturer—are typically classified as pursuit packages, which generally denote vehicle models that are capable of handling a majority of police tasks, primarily regular patrol duties but also, as the name implies, pursuits.

The $2,400 vehicle was equipped with electric lights, gongs, and a stretcher, and could reach 16 mph (26 km/h) and travel 30 mi (48 km) before its battery needed to be recharged.

[3] Ford's introduction of the flathead V-8 in its Model 18 in 1932—the first low-priced, mass-marketed car with a V8 engine—proved popular amongst police departments and led to strong brand loyalty.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the "Big Three" (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) began to offer specialized police packages with severe duty parts.

This ended the practice of some state police forces buying larger and more powerful, but higher-priced models including Buicks, Hudsons, and Chryslers.

Some state police forces adopted pony cars, such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and AMC Javelin, for use as pursuit vehicles.

The Ford LTD, Plymouth Gran Fury, and Chevrolet Caprice were re-adopted as standard when the models were downsized in the late 1970s.

Benefits often cited include extra room for equipment and better outward visibility due to the higher seating position compared to sedans.

[24] Since 2024, automakers have officially announced and released police packages for their electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Blazer PPV and F-150 Lightning SSV.

However, this is not always the case; for instance, the McHenry County Sheriff's Department operates a retrofitted 1995 Chevrolet Caprice for regular patrol duties as of 2016.

They are generally rare among police forces, and are often a single vehicle that was seized from a criminal[28][29][30] or donated by a benefactor, usually wealthy supporters in their jurisdiction[31][32] or local car dealerships.

Historically, dedicated police packages existed for performance cars, such as the Ford Mustang SSP[43][44] and Chevrolet Camaro B4C,[45][46][47] though they were uncommon and their use largely ceased into the 2000s.

The side doors, hood, or trunk of a marked police car usually bear the seal or badge of the agency, city, or county, often in reflective finish.

The association between North American police and black-and-white color schemes is so strong that the United States Department of Homeland Security recommends, but does not require, that local law enforcement agencies adopt a black-and-white vehicle color scheme for ease of visual identification nationwide.

However, this does not mean they are completely nonexistent in North America; a few regional police services in Ontario, namely those in St. Thomas, Barrie and Cobourg,[53] have adopted yellow and blue Battenburg marking designs on some newer cruisers,[54][55][56] although this practice is uncommon in the two countries.

[58][59] Today, most fleet markings on patrol vehicles are created from reflective vinyl with an adhesive backing that is applied in a peel-and-stick manner.

Finally, a paper pre-mask is applied to the top of the vinyl design to allow easy application of multiple letters and shapes at one time.