Police car

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Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor used by the Los Angeles Police Department

BMW X5 used by the Metropolitan Police Service

Mazda 3 used by the Singapore Police Force

Ford Ranger used by the South African Police Service

Hyundai iLoad used by the New South Wales Police Force

A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, black and white, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols and responses to calls for service. A type of emergency vehicle, police cars are used by police officers to patrol a beat, quickly reach incident scenes, and transport and temporarily detain suspects, all while establishing a police presence and providing visible crime deterrence.

Police cars are traditionally sedans, though SUVs, crossovers, station wagons, hatchbacks, pickup trucks, utes, vans, trucks, off-road vehicles, and even performance cars have seen use in both standard patrol roles and specialized applications. Most police cars are existing vehicle models sold on the civilian market that may or may not be modified variants of their original models (such as the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor being a variant of the Ford Crown Victoria); the few purpose-built examples include the canceled Carbon Motors E7 and the Lenco BearCat armored vehicle.

Police cars usually contain communication devices, issued weaponry, and a variety of equipment, with emergency lights, a siren, and livery markings to distinguish them as such.