Police Cars Becoming -- and Looking -- More Aggressive Than Ever

Police cars are starting not only to look more aggressive than ever, but they're also becoming that way more than ever. Chrysler's new Charger is one of the latest of many new cars that is sporting a more-aggressive, bland, boxy look. This latest line-up of the series is challenging Ford for its police clientèle, which happens to be depending on the automaker to produce gaudier, boxier, and more threatening vehicles than the previous incarnations of police cars that have been issued by every police department in the country.

This latest bit of news, conflated with the disturbing reports of totalitarian cops becoming far more abusive with their authority to the public and the exploding rise in police taser ruckuses, underscore a gravely disturbing trend in the law enforcement industry: the more military-esque and more menacing the police goon mobiles, the better.

The squad cars I have seen on the roads these days are more intimidating than ever. Most police departments, and I have noticed this personally, no longer want Crown Victorias or the old-hat, tacky, fuddy-duddy-looking, Elvis-looking mobiles that are still in use in many, if not most, precincts. They want the latest, colorful cars that appear bulky and "muscular" in nature. These toys are becoming more and more popular with police departments everywhere one goes.

As a matter of fact, in southeastern Michigan (which is where I reside), the law enforcement bureaucrats -- and the police precincts -- are employing taxpayer money to spend an enormous fortune on crap like flashy paint jobs and tacky decals, all of which have nothing to do with the police officers' supposed mission "to serve and protect." Furthermore, these precincts engage in completely useless competitions with one another, just to see which department has the best-looking graphics, as if all of that stuff really amounts to anything of value at the end of the day. Then they compete with the above-mentioned older vehicles by showcasing these new tougher cars. Truth be told, this is all for show, as it signifies power, coercion, and authoritarian intentions on their part.

The sad reality is that taxpayers unfortunately stand idly by and allow this collectivistic nonsense to happen. They don't even dare question these atrocities at all. In their minds' eye, where's the incentive to question them? That's exactly how they think. And while they're looking the other way, the police continue with their government-worshipping harassment escapades without so much of a protest from the acquiescing populace.

(Thanks to Karen DeCoster for her cross-posted blog on this matter on LRC and her own blog on her website.)