Blue Optics
Note: This article in no way aims to fix the systemic issues plaguing America's criminal justice system. I am ill-equipped both in life experience and brainpower to untangle the chaotic underpinnings that fuel our law enforcement agencies. It is my hope that this article provokes discussion, debate, and, perhaps, a minuscule step toward a solution.
I was heading home from a high school dance on a dark and twisted road that wove between stonewall-lined farms and deep forests that seemed to inhale the moonlight. I was sixteen and behind the wheel of my mom's Acura, pushing the engine along the country roads faster than my experience and the posted speed limit recommended. In the shadows, two headlights popped on behind me. Then, the blue lights twirled on the roof and sent beams of cyan light through the monolithic trees. I slowed, and pulled the car over onto the side of the road, and awaited nervously for what I expected to be my first speeding ticket.
The cop realized I wasn't drunk or on drugs, just a stupid teenager slightly lost on backroads. Let off with a warning, I drove gingerly home under the speed limit and the cop pulled back into the darkness like a beast awaiting his next target. This was my first brush with "the law" and while I was happy to have been let go with a slap on the wrist, I was equally impressed and intimidated by the way the police officer had hidden.
He came out of nowhere as if the darkness had manifested him. A specter of the night, pulling over idiot school kids and then returning to his veiled perch on the side of the road. It occurred to me that his setup – and similar setups used by police throughout the country –was perfect for catching people breaking the law. Like tactics employed by ninjas, spies, and, ironically, criminals - stealth and intimidation are the keys.
If they can't see you, you can be anywhere.
It wasn't until I spent time overseas that I noticed how different American police cars look than European police cars. The cruisers driven in the states are designed to be covert and menacing while those in foreign countries scream awareness and safety. The message each gives off is clear: American cops are out to "get you" while foreign police are there "to help" in a service-oriented fashion.
A quick (and thoroughly unscientific) poll of friends and colleagues assigned superlatives to American cop cars such as: scary, frightening, angry, and intimidating. The same poll attached the following words to European cop cars: loud, safe, high-vis, and helpful.
Yes, appearances can be deceiving and the intentions of the person behind each of those cars can vary greatly. However, based on optics alone, the design of the American police car does a disservice to those who have sworn a duty to protect and serve. One could argue that "hiding" to catch traffic law violators is the only way to catch them - after all, who hasn't slowed down at the sight of a police cruiser in the distance? And while it's proven that fines for speeding reduce motor vehicle accidents1, it should be noted that a more visible police force could have the same, if not more positive, result.
Catching criminals is a hard job. The average American doesn't want drunk or reckless drivers on the road. And every ticket given out to one makes the streets a little bit safer. I'm not arguing the need for less police activity in traffic stops, just in the deceitful methods they use. Being visible establishes trust, and that's what a large part of the American public is hoping to gain with their police force. After all, the perception of deceptive tactics used by American police forces bleeds down into public opinion, too.
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My town of Westport, Connecticut was one of the first in America to use a Tesla as a police cruiser. It was touted as a fast, reliable, easily maintained, and efficient vehicle that would save the department money. And it does. But what it also does is fit in with the armadas of Teslas that roam the town's streets each day. The police car was painted black and outfitted with black lettering. The town also hid police lights in the windshield and under the front bumper. It requires close inspection to realize that this ubiquitous car is anything but. You'd never know it was a police car until it was too late. So, while the town prominently displayed how future-thinking they were, they were also using an age-old tactic of police deception.
Perhaps, it's time to change this.
48% of Americans trust our country's law enforcement2 while 76% of the French3 and 74% of the British? trust their police. Recent high-profile issues have greatly added to America's low number, and an overhaul of our law enforcement institutions seems to be an inevitability. That said, one small "needle-moving" change could be in how the American police put forth appearances. They need to be more visible. They need to use "Serve and Protect" as a creative brief and make sure their next livery design reflects those words. Ultimately, they need to move away from deception and intimidation and toward an image that projects help and security.