Major Change To Police Cars Likely To Sneak Up On CA Drivers

CALIFORNIA — Speeders be warned: The California Highway Patrol has a new fleet of vehicles, and they're designed to stealthily blend in with traffic in order to help officers sneak up on law-breaking drivers, officials announced this week.

The new vehicles are called Specially Marked Patrol Vehicles. The CHP is deploying them in a variety of colors, including black and silver. They're not undercover, but they're definitely designed to be hard to spot, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee announced.

"For over 40 years, the CHP has used Specially Marked Patrol Vehicles to tackle specific traffic safety challenges. These new patrol units — distinct from our iconic black-and-whites — retain the manufacturer's paint job, helping officers blend into traffic and catch reckless drivers in the act," he said.

The CHP is deploying 100 of the 2024 Dodge Durango SUVs. Based on images of the SUVs shared by CHP, here's how they differ from normal police cars:

• CHP most commonly uses Dodge Charger sedans and Ford Police Interceptor SUVs in its fleet. The new Dodge Durango SUVs are less commonly used by police departments.
• The new SUVs have CHP logos that blend into the color of the vehicle. For example, a black SUV has a black-and-gray logo, making it hard to spot the insignia at a quick glance.
• The Durangos have a full set of police lights, but rather than being installed on the roof like normal cruisers, these SUVs have their lights hidden behind the grill and in other places hard to see — until the lights are flashing in your rear-view mirror.

Duryee said they're being deployed "to confront a growing threat: aggressive drivers who speed excessively, tailgate, split lanes, and endanger lives. When they spot our marked units, they often change their behavior briefly. These new patrol vehicles will help us hold them accountable."

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There are nearly 1,000 daily reports of reckless driving in California. Last year, CHP officers issued almost 18,000 citations to drivers speeding over 100 miles per hour. And speed is a factor in about 30% of all crashes, officials said.

CHP is deploying the next generation of Specially Marked Patrol Vehicles—distinctive colors with a version of the traditional CHP markings in sharp contrast on the doors. These SMPVs support efforts to stop reckless and dangerous driving.#CaliforniaHighwayPatrol #SMPV pic.twitter.com/MWgRBfkEP0
— CHP Southern (@CHPsouthern) May 8, 2025

But critics say the CHP is trading in the black and white's power of prevention for the chance to issue more speeding tickets.

That includes San Diego traffic-violation attorney Mitchell Mehdy, known as "Mr. Ticket," who shared his thoughts with CBS 8.

"I don't think it's going to make it any safer. I think it's just going to be enforced stronger, and I think that it will increase the revenue," he said. "It's always interesting how the government functions. It always seems that whenever they do something, they accidentally make more money."

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Many social media commenters reflected similar sentiments. "Fight me in a crown vic you cowards," one X user raged.

The V8 Durangos will be driven by officers in full uniform, primarily on multi-lane freeways, Duryee said.

The first 25 vehicles will be deployed this week. All 100 will be in use by June, officials said.