Question for the Police car buffs out there

[Darin Bastedo]

While I was in Baltimore I spotted a cadillac CTS-V all black with police lights inside behind the windshield and rear window. It had DHS plates (dept of Homeland security) a full compliment of police gear inside (computer, radio, fence, and an automatic rifle.)No other markings.

which branch of DHS would need this type of car?

[niteowl7710]

Sounds to me like Uncle Sam got himself a seizure. Probably belongs to Customs & Border Protection, aside from the harbor areas CBP also operates a major immigration task force out of Baltimore and they have a Fugitive Task Force there that has been known to have some nice toys.

[Aaronw]

Sounds like Secret Service to me, I haven't seen a lot of their cars but all have had an odd combination of low profile and UBER COP written all over their cars.

[Joe Handley]

I have seen Suburbans and Tahoes like that around here in the Chicago Burbs, especially since Obama has been elected, more so when he and the family are back for a visit.

[Danno]

Hard to tell which agency it belongs to; there are 22 different law enforcement agencies within the DHS umbrella. Cadillac with observable emergency lights and radios, etc., could be secret service but they would ordinarily have no need for a cage. However, being near the DC area, they might. ICE, Customs and Border Patrol generally operate marked vehicles for transportation of prisoners. It sounds most like a US Marshall, but they are under the Justice Department, not DHS. Hard to say.

Nightowl7710 has it right; a fugitive task force, however, would likely run unmarked vehicles and have cages; a Caddy would have been a seizure/forfeiture vehicle, or a leased vehicle for special purposes.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Danno

[highway]

I'm no police expert by any means, but I have to agree that it sounds like it might be a seizure vehicle. I know our county sheriff has a Mustang received from a seizure. There was also a department in Illinois (I think) that was on the TRU TV show "Speeders" that had a nice decked out Hummer H2 from a seizure.

[exakto]

no way bee. but I would like to have one in real life, without the pig lights.

[highway]

... without the pig lights.

That's not very polite! I may never been a police officer, but I have quite a few friends who are who would be very offended by that remark!

[Terry Sumner]

Yes...probably not the best thing to say around here...

Edited December 12, 2010 by Terry Sumner

[Aaronw]

I missed the cage, that is odd. Secret Service does a lot of VIP protection so has higher end cars than your standard law enforcement agency, but I wouldn't expect to see a cage.

[Darin Bastedo]

I missed the cage, that is odd. Secret Service does a lot of VIP protection so has higher end cars than your standard law enforcement agency, but I wouldn't expect to see a cage.

Yeah that's what confused me too. maybe they got some free for bailing out GM?

[niteowl7710]

I've dropped an e-mail to a buddy of mine who's one of the Supervisory Deportation Officers for the ICE Baltimore Field Office - Fugitive Operations to see if it's one of his toys or if he knows who it belongs to otherwise.

Edited December 13, 2010 by niteowl7710

[CAL]

While I was in Baltimore I spotted a cadillac CTS-V all black with police lights inside behind the windshield and rear window. It had DHS plates (dept of Homeland security) a full compliment of police gear inside (computer, radio, fence, and an automatic rifle.)No other markings.

which branch of DHS would need this type of car?

Donno for sure, but as far as I can tell DHS got some special grant to buy these cars and a few other makes. The Caddi in this trim costed $60,000.00

[niteowl7710]

Got a reply back from Fugitive Ops...it does not belong to them, nor or they aware of whom it does belong to...speculate away

[RodneyBad]

[Agent G]

Yeah, it's mine.

G

[Danno]

See, I told you no one knew anything about it. I don't know anything about it. About what?

[Eshaver]

I used to live in Fort Worth Texas. I was working meanwhile for a person in Downtown Dallas who collected cars . Meanwhile , in the tiny tawny Up- scale city of Highland park north of Mockingbird lane , the Highland Park police were given Volvo G L 700 sedans to cruie about thier ronds in . Im suprised they wern't given Cadillac Escalades to do their civic duties in now ..........Ed Shaver

[Joe Handley]

Just so any of the Suburban Chicago guys, St. Charles now has an all black, un-marked Dodge Charger police sedan that is right now so new that it's still got the paper plates on it! I saw it stock to assist in a stop initiated by Kane County in front of Zimmerman Ford last Saturday and when the LEDs came on, it was nearly blinding! I also had the chance to talk to a St.C police woman who confirmed (while smiling, sounded like she's driven it already )that they did buy it as a test since Ford is killing the CV's and the Department is hoping that they start buying those instead of the the Impala's...again while smiling

[highway]

an all black, un-marked Dodge Charger police sedan

I haven't found out which agency in my hometown has it yet, but I noticed one of those on a traffic stop on the interstate just outside Wheeling the other day. I seen all the LEDs over a half a mile away!

[niteowl7710]

I used to live in Fort Worth Texas. I was working meanwhile for a person in Downtown Dallas who collected cars . Meanwhile , in the tiny tawny Up- scale city of Highland park north of Mockingbird lane , the Highland Park police were given Volvo G L 700 sedans to cruie about thier ronds in . Im suprised they wern't given Cadillac Escalades to do their civic duties in now ..........Ed Shaver

I'm pretty sure Dalworthington Gardens still has their '06 GTO.

[The Creative Explorer]

Everybody knows these right:

Well, they end up like this":

And now they might going to get these:

I think downsizing is a understatement

[Aaronw]

I suppose GM could be playing with a police package Cadillac too. The CTS would be one of the few to compete directly with the Charger once Ford drops the Crown Vic. I think it is larger than the Charger which would be in its favor since many police agencies stick with the Fords because they are the only full size rear wheel sedan left. Many police departments hate front wheel drive cars and will be looking at SUVs in place of small sedans they don't feel meet their needs. Who ever offers the biggest, "old school" rear wheel drive sedan with good performance will dominate the police car market.

It wouldn't be the first time Cadillac went after a police contract, Oakland, Ca ran Cadilacs for a short time in the early 80s, but they were too slow (the new specs demanded a 0-60 time under 11 secs after that) and the media went after the image of police "luxury cars", so they only lasted a year or two, before the city dumped them and went to Crown Vics and Dodge Diplomats.

[Agent G]

Lets see , How do I put this?

Police agencies don't "hate" FWD cars, the coppers themselves do.

The Ford CVPI cornered the market after GM nixed the Caprice after the '96 model year. I was ok with the Ford after the demise of the 9C1 Caprice, but always seemed to want something...........more.

I drove the Dodge, ahem "Charger", and was less than impressed with the interior layout. It ran like stink in a straight line though.

We drove a whole bunch of Chevrolet Celebritys, first major metropolitan PD to do so. Wow talk about, uh, slow. Funny thing was they held up, and really made pretty good alley rats. Trouble was they just didn't have it on the interstate. Don't get me started about the "new" Impala. Evil POS.

That said, I had two pretty good long pursuits in Impalas that went well. I Had to PIT one suspect and my car didn't sustain much damage at all.

The new Chevrolet Caprice looks promising as a return of the RWD V8 police car.

Hmmm now to get my current boss to agree to order them.

G

[Joe Handley]

We drove a whole bunch of Chevrolet Celebritys, first major metropolitan PD to do so. Wow talk about, uh, slow. Funny thing was they held up, and really made pretty good alley rats. Trouble was they just didn't have it on the interstate. Don't get me started about the "new" Impala. Evil POS.

Eeew, Celebritys, that had to suck as a cop car! After that Pontiac 6000 we had, I never trusted another GM FWD car and I'm almost wondering how related those Impala's are the Celebrity and 6000