Proper Signage & Responsible SSP Usage

[OSP959(R)]

I posted this at copcar.com, but I wanted to share it here since it's the same subject matter:


I'm new to the hobby, but I have a lot of experience with patrol cars. I was a law enforcement explorer (scout), security guard driving a marked 'patrol car', a local police officer, and a state trooper. You're alway under the microscope when you're driving a patrol car. The public is quick to call in a complaint on anything you do in a police/state patrol car. The police watch waiting for the 'wannna be's' in the security cars to mess up.

The problem with old police cars is a combination of the above. If you screw up, the public see's it and it looks bad on the agency you're car is displaying. This upsets the public and the agencies. Signs like 'Out Of Service', 'Not In Service', 'Movie Car', 'Show car', etc, doesn't meen anything to the public. To them they just think it meens you're not on duty. You leave a black eye on the organization you're not even associated with.

Personally, I don't think a cruiser that's permanently marked should be allowed to drive on the road (unless in a parade). If it's permanently marked, trailer it. If you want to drive it to the shows, use magnetic markings. We should be more concerned about protecting the image of the agency we're displaying, than the paint on our cars. I see people say they don't want to use magnetics because of the effects it has over time on the finish, so they permanently mark them and then use signs and painters tape.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol copyrighted their logo. You can't even get it for model cars anymore. If the collectors screw up to many times, all the other agencies will follow. People could kill this hobby before I can even get a chance to show my car. There could come a day when you need a license from an agency to display their logo.

I'm sure my comment will not be well received by some people. But mark my word, if we cast a bad image on an agency, they will take steps to protect their image, and keep you from tarnishing it.

Personally, I wouldn't care if agencies had exact specifications your car had to meet, had to be inspected, had to have their license to display present at all times, and had to have a 'pass' indicating the date and location wherever the car was being displayed. It's their logo, they should know when and where it's being displayed.

Now, I don't want it to come to that. Do you?

[GSPI]

Looks to me that we are all on the same page here.

[ImEvil1]

X1000. Appreciate the comments. Keep 'em coming.

[NoDrama43]

I have been watching the CCdC thread pretty closely. It seems as though they are also on the same page as we are here. At least they react the same to some of situations we find ourselves policing.

[ImEvil1]

Originally Posted by NoDrama43

I have been watching the CCdC thread pretty closely. It seems as though they are also on the same page as we are here. At least they react the same to some of situations we find ourselves policing.

That's also a good thing. They've been doing this longer than we have, and the reputation they have amongst LE agencies is a very professional one. These are the guys getting invites to shows that most others aren't. They run a tight ship and it shows.