Law Dog Mustang

[Bullitt0819]

Seeing the first 'bait' photo I thought "There's gonna be a 2020 Boss?!"

https://www.thedrive.com/news/31921...ford-mustang-with-money-from-speeding-tickets

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[Avispa]

Well the Texas highway patrol was using Fox bodies as patrol cars 35 years ago. Nice to see em again in black and white.

 

[17Magnetic5.0]

Pretty dumb if you ask me. I read the whole article and spending 50,000 to help relations doesn’t seem like money well spent. Why not use the money for charity. Maybe buy underprivileged kids toys, backpacks, etc. That’ll actually improve people’s perception.

 

[Sigma6]

Awaiting Next article of said mustang writing a ticket to the guy who gets egged on to stop light race and gets nailed.

 

[Spork3245]

Well the Texas highway patrol was using Fox bodies as patrol cars 35 years ago. Nice to see em again in black and white.

Florida used s197 Mustangs for quite some time.

 

[Biggus Dickus]

Stupid waste of taxpayer $

 

[IPOGT]

Or maybe stop structuring the department around generating money for the department.

Gotta watch those small town speed traps. But seriously, depending on whose in charge, departments usually are under varying degrees of political pressure to generate revenue.
We're just blaming the messenger.

 

[Bluelightning]

HPD has mustangs and camaros in their patrol fleet.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Looks like a bad PR move to me.

 

[ExtantPuzzle]

Eh, playing devil's advocate for a moment.

I think it's better for the community as a whole if people develop a friendlier relationship with law enforcement. I specifically encourage my kids to go say hello and talk with police officers and I hope others do the same. That way, the next generation of police isn't raised to think that police are some holier than thou group of people to be afraid of (because if that's what you think they are, then that's what you'll become if you join) and instead think of them as friendly people who help keep everyone safe.

Buying the Mustang as a PR move is a bit silly, but they'd have to buy something as their community outreach vehicle. My local department has a F150 SuperCrew that they use as their dedicated community outreach vehicle. Kids love to climb around the "police truck" but they also love the Charger that gets brought to a lot of public events as well.

 

[Vlad Soare]

I agree that the police should develop a friendlier relationship with the public. I also teach my kids the same thing - to view police officers as friends who will help them if they ever need it.
That being said, people hate speed limits, and especially the seemingly increasing zeal that the police are putting into their enforcement these days. More and more people are starting not to buy into that 'safety' balooney anymore and to see speed limits simply as a cheap and easy way for the authorities to raise money at the expense of the easiest victim. Using this money to buy a flashy car does nothing to alleviate that impression, but quite the contrary, it confirms it.
The next time someone sees a new speed limit sign installed on a stretch of road, they won't think "oh my, I should slow down to be safe", but rather "oh sh*t, these f*cking bastards are in the market for a new car again".
Bad PR move, in my opinion.

 

[Deckard B26354]

Stink-a-dena the armpit of Houston. The suspension will probably be beaten to death in six months on those roads, at that point the car will be parked and shortly thereafter the wheels and tires will be stolen.

 

[MikeHTally]

Florida used s197 Mustangs for quite some time.

Lotsa Fox Bodies, too.

 

[Ecoboosted]

Stink-a-dena the armpit of Houston. The suspension will probably be beaten to death in six months on those roads, at that point the car will be parked and shortly thereafter the wheels and tires will be stolen.

A PPD spokesperson confirmed to The Drive that when the Mustang enters service this spring, it won't see service as a cruiser or interceptor, only as a PR car. That'll probably disappoint people who want to hear about this car chasing down wrongdoers, but given Houston's pothole problem, taking this car on a high-speed chase is probably a terrible idea.

 

[Stonehauler]

Police typically see and are seen when people are at their worst. A crime has been committed, an accident, responding to a DWI, a cross-over accident where a person crossed the center of a divided highway, etc.

They have seen what happens in fatal accidents and everyone I have talked to dreads pulling up on another one. Have you ever had to roll up on a scene where multiple kids were decapitated in a multi-vehicle accident? THEY HAVE, not 5 miles from my house, and they are just as human as the rest of us.

Yeah, no one likes getting pulled over for speeding, but even if everyone else was doing it too, you were still violating the limit. Pay your fine and get over it. They are doing their job, which is to try and keep everyone safe.

Outreach programs like this are designed to help prevent people from fearing the police. Ideally, being around a police officer should be one of the safest places you can be. Yes, I realize that is not true for everyone both in experience and in perception, but it SHOULD be true. No person should have to fear the police except for criminals, and then they should only fear being caught and put in jail.

By doing the outreach, they are trying to get out there, meet people, and help people realize that 1) they are people too, not just a uniform, badge, cuffs, and gun, and 2), they don't want to always have to interact with police when it's a bad situation.

Maybe they will do a "race the cops" day at a local track to encourage people to race in the appropriate setting. Maybe they will do a lot of things, but I would much rather them use this to buy a PR Mustang than use it to buy an armored vehicle, guns, or something else in that nature.

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