I've been living in a small town in NH where everyone knows everyone for over four years now and although the local PD always knew exactly who I was the whole time, the surrounding local towns and several state patrol officers didn't. My TX SSP was my daily driver last summer by choice, since it was new to me and I simply enjoyed the conversation piece that it was. Although the only lights I had were spotlights (non-functional), it was obviously a ex-police car that attracted a lot of attention, especially at work in the corner of the parking lot taking up four spaces! I've never been stopped by a cop yet, but I get followed all the time, sometimes a lot more than I'd like. What I didn't know until about four or five months ago is that while they follow me, they talked about me on the radio. Being in retail sales, many officers came into my work and purchased products from me because I owned the "Mustang police car" in the lot and I'd tell them about future plans with lights and markings. They too would end up chiming in on the radio when a different officer spotted me. Before I knew it, I'd have officers waiving to me all the time.
In a nutshell, talking to officers are one of the best things I've ever done regarding my SSP. I'm extremely open with them and have assured them that I mean no harm in driving an ex-police car. Once I have everything on the car, the lights will be covered and the "Not In Service" badge will go on the back. They all confirmed that that was the smartest thing to do. They told me not to worry too much about covering interior equipment as long as the car was properly identified as a former police car that is not currently in service. Not sure how rural your area is, but I guess a small town is a big advantage when you have a unique car that stands out of the crowd! As stated previously, just be open with the PD ahead of time and check your local laws.
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1990 Mustang SSP TX DPS
1988 Mustang SSP MA State Police
1990 Mustang 2.3L Notch
1989 Mustang GT 5.0 Hatch w/36K All Original
1989 Mustang GT Conv. RARE W/OUT FACTORY A/C
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