Photo by Javeria Ahmed
History of the Police Car BY: STEVE MATHEW
The police car that you see around the streets and highways nowadays is the most advanced and efficient vehicles of the present time. The evolution of the police car has a long and fascinating history dating all the way back to the end of the 19th century. The widely known vehicle that we see today differs a lot from the original police car that could only travel at 16 miles per hour. Police officers initially used motorcycles more often than cars because cars required more money to create, but eventually, the idea of using a car became more popular due to the increased use of cars by criminals. It was 1899 in Akron, Ohio when the first police car was created. Well, that is if you actually considered it a car. The first police vehicle was merely a wagon that was run by electricity, which was fielded on the Ohio streets. This first police car was not much to fear, however, since it could only travel at a mere 16 miles per hour, and had to be recharged
approximately every 30 miles. To put into perspective, Usain Bolt’s quickest speed ever was recorded at 27.8 miles per hour, which would leave the police wagon of 1899 in the dust. Nonetheless, this automobile, built by the mechanical engineer, Frank Loomis, was an outstanding feat at the end of the 1800s. In 1920, the New York City Police Department employed a fleet of Radio Motor Patrol vehicles to help stop crime in the city. A significant change took place in 1932 when Ford unveiled their Ford flathead V-8 in its model B. This car breed was used by policemen and helped change the industry for years to come. In the 1940s, major American car companies such as Ford and Chrysler began to manufacture special police car parts and specialized police cars themselves. In the 1960s and 1970s, Plymouth was a significant competitor in the police car industry. Due to an energy crisis, buyers were more interested in smaller vehicles. However, in 1996, many police
● History of the Police Car
STEMATIX Magazine
8
