The California Highway Patrol is putting officers in a new generation of low profile, specially marked patrol vehicles meant to “blend into traffic just enough to observe the most reckless and dangerous behaviors without immediate detection,” officials announced.
In a news release, CHP said California sees nearly 400,000 crashes a year, almost 1,000 reports of reckless driving a day and that in 2024, officers issued 18,000 citations to motorists driving at speeds 100 miles per hour or higher.
“These new tools will help our officers hold the most egregious violators accountable,” the release stated.
Some 400 new Dodge Durangos are being added to the fleet, but only 100 of the vehicles will get the special markings meant to blend into traffic. The other 300 will have CHP’s traditional look.
The specially marked patrol vehicles will not have the agencies typical black and white markings but will sport a variety of standard Dodge manufacturer colorings, though CHP’s logo will be emblazoned on the sides of the cars.
Rather than lights and sirens on top of the new low-profile cars, the gear is situated in the interior top of the front and rear windows, as well as on the side bottom of the vehicle.
The new Durangos are also faster, each one containing a V8 Hemi engine compared to the V6 in CHP’s current fleet of Ford Explorers, Chevy Tahoes and Dodge Charges.
While the specially patrol vehicles will all be in service by June, some stations, like Baldwin Park, are already out and about in the vehicles, with the agency telling the Orange County Register that officers immediately noticed motorists driving at higher speeds then they usually see while in the traditional looking patrol vehicles.
“These cars aren’t meant to prey on normal and unsuspecting people,” CHP Officer Alec Pereyda told The Register. “These are meant for those speeding and aggressive drivers.”
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