Street Patrol

By Lou Sitaras

As a youngster, nothing is more exciting than watching an emergency vehicle go by. The questions begin immediately: What happened? Is there a car accident? A fire? Is someone sick?

You look around for signs of smoke as you see the regular cars and trucks pull off to the side of the road while the emergency vehicles speed on by. It’s a sight I’m certain has led youngsters to dream of becoming firemen or police officers or paramedics.

As adults, not much has changed. We still look and wonder as emergency vehicles come whizzing by. Some of us even foolishly follow fire trucks to the scene of a blazing fire. We can’t help but slow down and look as we drive by a bad car accident surrounded by emergency vehicles and wonder what happened. It’s just human nature. It’s who we are.

For me, even as a kid, I distinctly remember when my hometown of Eddystone Pa. would get a new police car. I was 6 years old in 1968 when the police department acquired a beautiful dark green Dodge Coronet. In 1970 they traded it in on a new Dodge Coronet with the wildest front end I’ve ever seen on any car — let alone a police car. Even today, the 1970 Dodge Coronet is considered a unique milestone vehicle. Afterwards, the Eddystone Police Dept. switched to the Plymouth Satellite and by 1974, the Plymouth Gran Fury was the vehicle of choice before I moved away.

They say it takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar and that’s exactly what happened in Catawba County, North Carolina. My house at times looks like a community police department right out of the past with a 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury and a 1962 Chrysler Enforcer parked out front.

In 2005, the opportunity arose for me to purchase my very own retired emergency vehicle — a 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury that was originally part of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. It was a lifelong dream and bucket list item that finally came true. The car underwent a complete restoration from 2014 thru 2017 and since that time, it has started a second career showcasing the heyday of Mopar’s prime police pursuit years in Memorial Day and July 4th parades as well as local events throughout the tri-state area.

For me, the greatest thrill I’ve had with my police car was Christmastime in 2020. The Aston Township Fire Company skipped their annual Santa Claus fire truck ride due to covid. My friend and former guest on 92.1 FM, Dave Kelso, asked me to lead a parade with lights and sirens going while Santa waved at the residents and children from the back of Dave’s 1970 Dodge pickup truck. At the last minute, two Aston Township police vehicles joined in the parade and residents were treated to a bit of Christmas joy during a very bleak year.

In 2021, I was asked by my friend Gloria Brazell of the Upper Chichester Township Recreation Committee to escort Santa from the township building to the Chichester Winter Wonderland Holiday Display. An Upper Chichester Township police car joined us and once again, me and my passenger, Mrs. Claus, played by Renae Applebaum, brought Christmas joy to many children who were overwhelmed to see Santa come visit them.

I am often asked: “What’s it like to drive a real police car?” The truth is there’s no bigger thrill in the world. In the immortal words of Elwood Blues: It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant, it’s got cop tires, cop suspension, and cop shocks.

Being behind the wheel means being noticed no matter where you go. Just as with any classic car, people wave, beep, honk, yell, and give a thumbs-up. They also pull out their cellphones and photograph me as I’m driving down the highway. Stopping for gas is always an adventure as people always ask me to pull in behind them with lights flashing while they take a photo of themselves being “pulled over.” There’s no such thing as a quick stop at Wawa. Conversations abound whenever the cop car comes out.

Is driving a vintage police car with all its emergency equipment legal? It’s a question that’s been asked many times and there’s no easy answer. If you go strictly by the book, the answer is no. However. and that’s a big however, most officers won’t bother you if it’s the weekend and you’re on your way to a car show or parade. Many enthusiasts cover their lights and also put a “Not In Service” decal on each side of their cruiser. I’ve personally never done that since my car doesn’t have police markings or decals.

I have been pulled over only once. I was in North Carolina after a classic car tour and decided to stay a few days extra. I mainly kept to the back roads because I was aware my car was not legal and besides, I was a Yankee in Confederate territory. Sure enough, one day I spotted the local sheriff behind me in a newer Dodge Charger. I can’t express to you what a worrisome sight this was. Still, I wasn’t speeding or driving erratically. Maybe it was just coincidence that he was behind me. That is, until his emergency lights came on. That was the end of the coincidence. I found a small parking lot, pulled over, and placed my hands on the steering wheel, expecting to be arrested.

The sheriff, a Jackie Gleason type, slowly walked up to my car, peered in the window, and said “Boy, I wasn’t lettin’ you get outta my county without me checking out your ride.” Whew! What followed was a 15-minute conversation of him telling me why his new Dodge Charger Hemi police car was better than mine and me explaining why my 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury with the 440-cubic-inch cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension, and broken cigarette lighter was better. It was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had in my life. As I pulled away, that 440 engine and dual exhaust roared to life and the sheriff must have loved it because the next day I passed him and he blipped his emergency lights for a second at me, as if to say “Hello.”

Since the time I first purchased this car, I’ve added another to my collection because they’re just so much fun to drive. In addition to the Gran Fury, I have a 1962 Chrysler Enforcer. It was the only year the California Highway Patrol (CHP) used Chryslers, because Dodge and Plymouth made the mistake of making their cars too small for CHP specifications. They realized the error, made their cars larger for 1963, and Chrysler was out as the official CHP patrol vehicle.

For those interested in the vintage police car hobby, the resources are varied and there are dedicated groups to help source items such as equipment, markings, and older-style lights. Police Car Owners of America and the Emergency Vehicle Owners And Operators Association are two of the most popular.

To keep up with various vintage police car activities such as parades, many of us use the site “Police Car Events — PA, DE, MD, NJ.” My good friend Dave Casey is the administrator of the site and does a terrific job of keeping us updated on different events and parades. I have to add that the vintage police car hobby doesn’t just extend to Mopar — Ford, Chevrolet, and even AMC and Oldsmobile manufactured some excellent police vehicles over the years that are treasured today by collectors.

No matter the make or the model, driving a vintage police package car is a thrill unlike any other. It’s also a tremendous responsibility because you are in a sense representing a previous era in law enforcement. It means driving cautiously and courteously and being aware that you are on display.

Just like that young child whose eyes lit up at seeing their first emergency vehicle, we get the excitement of reliving that moment in time over and over again. It’s a sensation that always leaves me smiling.

Santa Claus himself gives a nod of approval at the North Pole Police Department’s cruiser that was escorting him during the Upper Chichester 2021 Christmas Parade.