Patrol vehicles, what do you get to drive?

[EMTGuard]

They want us to put placards on our POVs. Most of us said no because some of us just bought new cars. Not to mention what would happen if my insurance company found out.

New car or not, always say no unless they are paying you a bonus for use of POV. As you mentioned, if your insurance company learns you are using your POV for business your rates can increase. Everytime I've gotten a new policy the insurance agent asked if the car was used for business/work.
And don't forget the thing we have talked about here before, rolling billboards. If my company, or anyone else for that matter, wants to pay me a agreed upon fee for advertizing on my car then I have no problem with placarding my car like a NASCAR reject. No extra money, no advertising.

[Echos13]

My company just got threw putting the new lettering on all the TWC jeeps. G4S looks cool up close but it's hard to figure out what it is at a distance. The DOT Captains got those (which by they way will be eliminated by 9/30). All we get is a lawn chair and a old podium. They want us to put placards on our POVs. Most of us said no because some of us just bought new cars. Not to mention what would happen if my insurance company found out. I saw some company yesterday on the interstate using Chevy SUV Trackers. What got my attention in large blue lettering across the entire side was printed "ENFORCEMENT". The badge was hard to see. On I-4 you tend to concentrate on driving rather than sight seeing.

[Hank1]

Just as soon as I can, I will post a couple of pictures of our vehicles.

Be safe,

Hank

That's a negative

You also have a statute that authorizes private citizens to make arrests for violations of misdemeanor offenses committed in their presence, and felonies for probable cause.

In Texas for sure. We (SO's or civvies) can only arrest for felonies comitted in our presence or view, breach of peace, or to prevent the consequences of theft.

[Charger]

The MX7000 is a personal fav due to it's plethera of options, however, what type of "High End" ( ) LEDs you guys running???

Well, I'm a fan of the MX7000 as well, in it's "all light" configuration... The ones on our cars are NOT.. (They have the metal center section with a cutout for a speaker... No clue why, as we don't have sirens.. lol)

The new LED bars are ok, I suppose... They serve their purpose... They're just too darn dim in my opinion.. (They're GEN I LEDs)

They're some off-brand (Chinese, I believe) knock-off called "The Firefly".. They DO have a built-in traffic adviser, which is nice.. But as I said, the LEDs are the older dim style, and the alleys/takedowns SUCK.. They tried replacing an alley light with a brighter bulb, just to see if it would work better, and it ended up melting the lense.. LOL

So I guess on a note to company owners looking at purchasing LED lightbars: You get what you pay for! If you want a good bar, spend the money on a GOOD bar..

[EMTGuard]

I'm also envious of SOs who get the use of marked, professional vehicles which, as others have pointed out, act as rolling billboards for your company. My company doesn't have any patrol vehicles. They require the CLIENT to provide the vehicle if patrols are necessary. Most of the time the facility will have a old, rundown vehicle that has been riding around the plant for years with little to no upkeep. So the Client will assign the beater to the Guards as a patrol car. No SECURITY decal or markings, no lightbar or spotlight. Don't complain about the lack of air conditioning. Just be glad the exhaust fumes don't kill you before you finish your rounds.
At my current assignment the SOs normally do patrols in an old Plymoth Voyager minivan but it stopped running this week. So somebody found this POS Chevy Lumina minivan

parked in a parking lot somewhere and decided to let the Guards have it for the weekend patrols. Well it didn't run worth a darn either and sat parked all weekend.
Those of you who have professional looking, marked company vehicles, take care of them and be proud. There are many of us who wish we had what you drive.

Steve

[JSam21]

We drive 2006 Impala's. The other department on our campus, just got 2007 Dodge Chargers... I for one am envyous.

[ValleyOne]

The MX7000 is a personal fav due to it's plethera of options, however, what type of "High End" ( ) LEDs you guys running???

[Charger]

This is a lower-quality pic of my new ride at work.. (Taken with my camera phone, sorry.. lol)

There are hi-res pics of the other cars at the company site (http://www.columbiasecurity.net)



We have 4 of these now, all with the (so-called) high-tech LED lightbars... The older cars all have MX7000s with rotators.

[Hank1]

Chuky!
Very nice squads you have there!

Be safe,

Hank

[EMTGuard]

Chucky, NICE vehicles. Thanks for the pics. Anyone else?

[ChuckyZ73]

Well they were not hosted by me and were removed LOL!

[CAPTAIN KOOLAID]

patrol unit i use pov

A Chevy caprice 1994 fully loaded. It has cornering, grill, dash, rear deck lights front and rear flasher and a arrow stick. As well as push bars spot light and cage also slowing repairing restoring it.

[EMTGuard]

Bumping back up so that others will see it and post decriptions, and hopefully, photos of their rides.

[copelandamuffy]

Chevrolet Cavalier. 1999.206,000 miles