Whereas the Dodge Charger and Ford Crown Victoria have been staple patrol cars in the United States, police agencies outside of the country use BMW, Subaru, Skoda and a variety of other automaker brands for officers on the job. Check out some of the more colorful international vehicles patrolling cities in Europe, Canada and other areas. In one instance, a Canadian agency is taking a progressive approach by using an electric vehicle.
International Patrol
Police in Aecheli Heerbrugg, Switzerland, use a BMW 3 Series to check that drivers are using seat belts and not talking on their cell phone while driving. Photo courtesy of Kecko (Flickr.com).
Bombardier, a Canadian aerospace and transportation manufacturer, produced the Bombardier NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle). The company is perhaps best known as the producer of the See-Doo personal watercraft, and has made a civilian version of the NEV that sells for abotu $7,000. The two-seat electric seen here is used by the Montreal's police to patrol Parc Jarry, an urban park in the Villeray neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Humanoide (Flickr.com).
The Northern Constabulary, based at Culloden, Inverness in the United Kingdom, use a Ford Transit Connect. Photo courtesy of conner395 (Flickr.com)
Subaru Impreza Gendarmerie. Photo courtesy of Colargol87 (Flickr.com)
BMW X5 used by the Northern Constabulary. Photo courtesy of conner395 (Flickr.com)
Czech automaker Skoda Auto, a Volkswagen subsidiary, has been producing the Skoda Octavia since 1996. This small family car is used by police in Budapest, Hungary. For more information, visit the Skoda Auto home page, which is thankfully in English. Photo courtesy of harry_nl (Flickr.com).