# Police BMW's in US or Canada?



## Silver328i (Aug 22, 2004)

I know that BMW offers 3 and 5 series cars for police use in various parts of the world, but I was wondering if anyone knows of BMW's being used as police cruisers in the US or Canada? 

I think it would be cool to see them on the street instead of Ford Crown Vics all the time.


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## sunnykk (Nov 1, 2004)

Silver328i said:


> I know that BMW offers 3 and 5 series cars for police use in various parts of the world, but I was wondering if anyone knows of BMW's being used as police cruisers in the US or Canada?
> 
> I think it would be cool to see them on the street instead of Ford Crown Vics all the time.


In the movie 'Gone in 60 seconds' the cop drives a 5 series, i think. I don't know about real life though


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## Silver328i (Aug 22, 2004)

Yeah, I remember that, but I think it was supposed to be the detective's personal car, or a special unmarked unit. I was thinking more on the lines of marked units with light bars, graphics, cage, push bars, etc. 

Like this:

http://www.mywebexpress.com/london_sites.htm

or these:

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Other/best_E34.htm

BMW's corporate site has a special vehicle section for buying police units, and my owner's manual refers to police options, but I guess they don't make it to the US as much if at all. Kinda curious.


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## 528i (May 1, 2004)

Hey, how about this one:


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## Bmwcat (Jul 30, 2004)

California actually bought some Volvo's I believe for Highway Patrol vehicles a few years ago. Never caught on though...


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## mbushnell (Aug 7, 2002)

While on a ski trip to Aspen, CO in the early 1990's, I remember seeing Saab Police cars.

I seem to remember that some police agencies can get vehicles that they have confiscated in drug busts. Some of these cars were pretty high-dollar vehicles.


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## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

In South Carolina, there are a few. The most notable one is an E34 M5, IIRC.


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## bmw325driver (Jun 3, 2005)

Hampshire police here in the UK have loads of 330iT's that they use, as well as X5's that I've seen running around. I know Metropolitan Police in London also use 5ers in their fleet. You'll see at least a couple running around during a day in London.

I've never seen BMW police vehicles in Canada or the US though. A number of years ago when Volvo was still selling the S70 models, there was a police spec one that was around Victoria British Columbia on demo to the police departments there, and it was written up in the newspaper. I know the departments chose not to adopt it because of the perceived higher cost of purchase and maintenance of european vehicles compared to Crown Vics.


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

Silver328i said:


> I know that BMW offers 3 and 5 series cars for police use in various parts of the world, but I was wondering if anyone knows of BMW's being used as police cruisers in the US or Canada?


I thought CHP was using some Beemers. :dunno:BMW in CHP link


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

The only thing besides the beemers I see here in L.A. are Ford cruisers... When I lived in Germany I was talking to some police officers of the Hamburg Police Department, they had a fleet of 530 diesels. When I looked inside of one, the odometer said: 740,000 km's... that's around 462,000 miles...:yikes: talking about putting a BMW to good use...


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## Andm99 (Sep 19, 2003)

Nick325xiT 5spd said:


> In South Carolina, there are a few. The most notable one is an E34 M5, IIRC.


I saw a E39 540i last time I was cruising thru central South Carolina. Luckily it had pulled someone else over though.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

The Kansas Highway Patrol had/has a 911 Porsche they used for pursuit on the turnpike. I got stopped in Oklahoma by a 5 Liter Mustang (No ticket...he was curious about the ti). And I believe Aspen is still using Saabs.


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## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

BMW NA used to lease E34 M5's to the South Carolina Highway Patrol for something like $10 a month. Keep in mind there is a BMW Plant in SC, so there is a lot of backscratching going on between BMW and the State of SC. I have a pic of one of the cars after it was retired, but I have no idea where it is.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

MG67 said:


> The only thing besides the beemers I see here in L.A. are Ford cruisers...


Don't forget the Camaros.... :eeps:


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## Uncle Fester (Feb 18, 2005)

Sean said:


> BMW NA used to lease E34 M5's to the South Carolina Highway Patrol for something like $10 a month. Keep in mind the is a BMW Plant in SC, so there is a lot of backscratching going on between BMW and the State of SC. I have a pic of one of the cars after it was retired, but I have no idea where it is.


Bet there was a scramble for the keys to that one in the morning!


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## ed325i (Dec 20, 2001)

VPD has at least one E39 cruiser that was "thrown-in" when they brought BMW motorcycles.

Ed


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

When I lived in The City Of Brotherly Love In The Days Of Frank Rizzo (ah, you Philadelphians know what I'm talking about  ), there was a brief flirtation with using Renault LeCars in Center City as police cars, supposedly as a cost savings.

The police just got no respect in these vehicles...even the *criminals* wanted the dignity of being taken to jail in a *real* police car! Those Renaults were quickly abandoned...


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

> the odometer said: 740,000 km's... that's around 462,000 miles...:yikes: talking about putting a BMW to good use...


Now that's what I call *mileage!*  :thumbup: ...gives me a goal to shoot for, being as I have 74,500+ miles on my 2003 325i! :thumbup:

Watching "The Bourne Supremacy" - quite a few _Polizei_ Bimmers giving chase!


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

doeboy said:


> Don't forget the Camaros.... :eeps:


 That's true, I also saw a undercover Ford F150 pickup truck...


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

car_for_mom said:


> Now that's what I call *mileage!*  :thumbup: ...gives me a goal to shoot for, being as I have 74,500+ miles on my 2003 325i! :thumbup:
> 
> Watching "The Bourne Supremacy" - quite a few _Polizei_ Bimmers giving chase!


 Yep that's pretty high up there... I had about 235,000 km's on my 535i Hartge back in 1995 and I was really proud...


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## BMWenthusiast (Feb 27, 2005)

none in the OC...i wish there would be


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## JG (Mar 5, 2005)

This one is being considered for our local pre-school patrols..... :rofl:


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

Bob Clevenger said:


> I suppose it has never occurred to anyone that if one drives within the law one need not be concerned about the presence of a police car, marked or not, using radar, laser, _etc._ or not.
> 
> Marked police cars act as a deterrent. Unmarked police cars act as an enforcement tool. Both functions are valid.


Weeeeell, when I drive at *70 MPH* on The Shatterer Of Windshields And Destroyer Of Tires Also Known As The 91 Freeway: (a) The CHP blows by me *and they don't have their sirens and lights on!* (b), Even though I am in the far right, or s-l-o-w, lane - I am still the object of ire, and (c) A CHP Patrolperson once told me that it's the *"flow of traffic"* that should guide one's speed.

In SoCal, this is about *80 MPH, 128 KPH, Herr Moderator  * on the freeway....


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## Bob Clevenger (Dec 17, 2004)

car_for_mom said:


> Weeeeell, when I drive at *70 MPH* on The Shatterer Of Windshields And Destroyer Of Tires Also Known As The 91 Freeway: (a) The CHP blows by me *and they don't have their sirens and lights on!* (b), Even though I am in the far right, or s-l-o-w, lane - I am still the object of ire, and (c) A CHP Patrolperson once told me that it's the *"flow of traffic"* that should guide one's speed.
> 
> In SoCal, this is about *80 MPH, 128 KPH, Herr Moderator  * on the freeway....


 (a) Cops break many laws with abandon, after all, who's going to write *them* a ticket?
(b) Driving is not a popularity contest. A lot of people don't like me, no big deal.
(c) Yes, "going with the flow" is the safest way to drive, but you're "damned if you do and damned if you don't" since the law doesn't recognize that fact.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Wednesday night on a city street marked 35mph a KC cop passed us on the right at about 45mph. We ended up next to him at the next light and I rolled down the window and asked him if he knew what the speed limit was. He got real bent and...I swear to god...had a doughnut in his hand. We slipped away real quickly.


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## rdollie (Aug 6, 2003)

Umm...why push your luck? Absolutely nothing good could have come from this exchange and there's a universe of BAD outcomes...



woody underwood said:


> Wednesday night on a city street marked 35mph a KC cop passed us on the right at about 45mph. We ended up next to him at the next light and I rolled down the window and asked him if he knew what the speed limit was. He got real bent and...I swear to god...had a doughnut in his hand. We slipped away real quickly.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

rdollie said:


> Umm...why push your luck? Absolutely nothing good could have come from this exchange and there's a universe of BAD outcomes...


I would have to agree... what happens if someday... you happen to get pulled over for something and it's that same officer and he remembers that you're the one who said that... chances of him letting you off might be lower than if it was a random stop... but that's all a bunch of what-ifs...

took some balls to say that to a cop like that... out here if you did that caught the officer in a not-so-good mood, he probably would've made some excuse to stop you right there and FIND something to ticket you for.


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## SmootheEar (Nov 4, 2003)

car_for_mom said:


> In SoCal, this is about *80 MPH, 128 KPH, Herr Moderator  * on the freeway....


WORD. :thumbup:

Did you know that in SoCal, you can actually get a ticket for going _too _ slow. By making unusually slow speed a ticketable offense, *regardless of the speed limit*, those obstructing the flow of traffic by _not_ breaking the law will end up with the ticket. Remember drivers ed.... highway speed limits are suggested driving speeds. It is against the law to break them, but if you feel that it is safe to do so (ex: 3am, deserted highway, etc.) then you can easily beat your ticket in court.

Logically this all makes sense. Cops protect the GENERAL public by catching those who speed when it is unsafe to do so. In the same way they will ticket those who drive at such slow speeds that their cars become a danger to the majority of others on the road at that time, EVEN if you are going the speedlimit.

So, as a general guideline, follow the noted philosophers saying:

*If you can't take 'da heat, then get the **** up out 'da kitchen*.


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## Bob Clevenger (Dec 17, 2004)

SmootheEar said:


> WORD. :thumbup:
> 
> Did you know that in SoCal, you can actually get a ticket for going _too _ slow. By making unusually slow speed a ticketable offense, *regardless of the speed limit*, those obstructing the flow of traffic by _not_ breaking the law will end up with the ticket. Remember drivers ed.... highway speed limits are suggested driving speeds. It is against the law to break them, but if you feel that it is safe to do so (ex: 3am, deserted highway, etc.) then you can easily beat your ticket in court.


 In fact you can receive a ticket for obstructing traffic in the whole state of California (No. Cal. hasn't seceded yet). As I said, it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't."

Yes, I recall Drivers' Ed all those years ago. Back then California had no "Maximum Speed Limits" but we do now. Calif. has two kinds of posted speed limits: the ordinary "Speed Limit" which is what you have described, a (strongly) suggested limit subject to conditions up or down. However if an officer cites you for exceeding it you have not much chance of winning if the officer appears since THEY are assumed to be EXPERTS in the field of automobile safety and we are not.
California also has posted "Maximum Speed Limits (65 or 70 mph) and the law states that it is never legal to exceed them (unless ordered to do so by a sworn public safety officer). The rationale that was given when the State Legislature passed the Max Speed Law was that "sometimes it's OK to drive faster than 55, but it's NEVER OK to drive faster than 65. Yeah, it's pretty lame, but I remember that far back and that's what they said.
So if traffic is moving at 75 mph you can't obey the law; you are either impeding traffic or speeding. Isn't that just peachy?
Calif. also has a "Basic Speed Law" and has had for ages. It's illegal to drive at a speed that is excessive for conditions. Makes sense. Who decides how fast is too fast? The cop of course!

And lest you say that "They won't ticket you for a little over the limit if there is no traffic." I will mention that I have been the recipient of this kind of ticket twice for doing 62 in a 55 zone in light and extremely light traffic conditions. Once was due to a defective speedometer, once just because I didn't want to drive 55 -- not complaining, I WAS speeding and got caught.


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## SmootheEar (Nov 4, 2003)

You seem to have a more informed opinion on the topic than I do. I guess the problem is that California has too many speed laws attempting to cover all the bases, but none that can work together to help citizens clearly understand the rules of the road. Personally I think that "going with the flow" is the best, and most unobstructive way to drive at any speed (and I'll pay whatever amount of speeding tickets if that's what it costs to do so).

Thanks for the info, and sorry if my previous post seemed a bit rash.


Also, off topic  , but I think we need to see some pics of REAL bimmer police cars in the U.S.


EDIT: I'll lose an arguable speeding ticket case when pigs go to court! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## Bob Clevenger (Dec 17, 2004)

SmootheEar said:


> You seem to have a more informed opinion on the topic than I do. I guess the problem is that California has too many speed laws attempting to cover all the bases, but none that can work together to help citizens clearly understand the rules of the road. Personally I think that "going with the flow" is the best, and most unobstructive way to drive at any speed (and I'll pay whatever amount of speeding tickets if that's what it costs to do so).
> 
> Thanks for the info, and sorry if my previous post seemed a bit rash.


 No sweat. Yes, Nevada's old "any speed's OK as long as it's safe" law worked very well for decades, but then the Feds had to get involved. I'd love to see that instituted here in Calif.


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## Falke (Apr 30, 2005)

Heh, Most of the police in Canada are stuck with fordTauruses (Taurusii?)

And officers someties have personal vehicles turned into cruisers, so there might be the occational 5 series.

Also, the hometown of the plant where Dodge Vipers are made have quite a few of the snakes in there fleet, so I'm told.



car_for_mom said:


> Now that's what I call *mileage!*  :thumbup: ...gives me a goal to shoot for, being as I have 74,500+ miles on my 2003 325i! :thumbup:


I've got 225k on my '94 530i.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

rdollie said:


> Umm...why push your luck? Absolutely nothing good could have come from this exchange and there's a universe of BAD outcomes...


Hey, this is America...remember? A democracy, I hear. That cop is no better than me and has no more rights to speed or drive unsafely. And it's my constitutional RIGHT to tell him so.


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## Bob Clevenger (Dec 17, 2004)

woody underwood said:


> Hey, this is America...remember? A democracy, I hear. That cop is no better than me and has no more rights to speed or drive unsafely. And it's my constitutional RIGHT to tell him so.


 Very true. And excercising your rights is a very American thing to do. It can, however, be unwise in certain circumstances.
The officer has no more rights than any other citizen -- however, he or she DOES have more power. Choose your battles wisely.


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## ultimate_drive (Apr 25, 2003)

Here's one from where I live in Northern VA http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/cops/


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

Bob Clevenger said:


> Very true. And excercising your rights is a very American thing to do. It can, however, be unwise in certain circumstances.
> The officer has no more rights than any other citizen -- however, he or she DOES have more power. Choose your battles wisely.


Tell the truth, Bob Clevenger, tell the truth! The few times I've been stopped, I take the approach that the policeperson doesn't know me from Eve, and I don't make any sudden moves, I keep my hands in the officer's sight at all times, and I put my license and registration on the dashboard *before* the officer reaches my car.

I don't get into an argument - and nine times out of ten, when I've been polite and courteous, the officer relaxes considerably. I was even thanked once for being cooperative!


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## car_for_mom (Jul 15, 2002)

ultimate_drive said:


> Here's one from where I live in Northern VA http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/cops/


hmmm...the license plate seems to give a clue to how this Bimmer was acquired by the department :lmao:


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## FenPhen (Jan 13, 2004)

ultimate_drive said:


> Here's one from where I live in Northern VA http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/cops/


That... is... awesome... :rofl:


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## KoreyR (Jun 14, 2005)

> Heh, Most of the police in Canada are stuck with fordTauruses (Taurusii?)
> 
> And officers someties have personal vehicles turned into cruisers, so there might be the occational 5 series.
> 
> Also, the hometown of the plant where Dodge Vipers are made have quite a few of the snakes in there fleet, so I'm told.


I'v never heard of a Taurus as a cruiser. They use Modified Impalas & Crown Vic's.


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

*BMW M3 Police car*

I saw this earlier but couldn't find the international Police Car tread...:tsk:


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