One vehicle has been associated with law enforcement in the United States for much of this century. The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is now a museum piece, literally.
At the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum in Pendleton, the exhibits are being boxed up for a move to a new location. One of the newest additions sits in the basement garage.
As of mid-April, it wasn't going anywhere.
"The battery's dead."
Museum Director Bill Beuke says this white 2010 Crown Victoria was in service with the Cincinnati Police Department until recently. The cruiser is license plate 10312, and on the doors in bright, reflective blue and in all caps, is the word police.
Beuke says the officer driving 10312 recognized it was the last in the fleet.
"He was talking with someone here at the museum, and we'd mentioned it'd be great if we had it," Beuke says. "2024, I sent a letter to the chief requesting that we get this Crown Vic when it goes out of service."
Often, when a government vehicle is retired, it's sold. But, the city agreed to donate this one to the museum.
'You knew when you had one behind you'
For many officers who drove Crown Victorias, the car is an icon.
Major Philip Ridgell joined the Boone County Sheriff's Office in 1998.
"When I got out of the academy and was assigned my first Crown Vic, it was a 2003. I think when I got it, it had roughly 110,000 miles already on it."
Over the course of his career, Ridgell was assigned two more Crown Victorias. He says there was a lot of difference in how the models drove but one thing stayed the same: the look.
"You knew whether you had one behind you — or, if you were the one driving — the person in front of you knew that there was a Crown Vic, very likely to be a police vehicle."
The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was introduced in 1992. It was a 17-foot long, four-door, rear-wheel drive sedan. It had a more powerful engine, stronger brakes and a heavy-duty battery.
Ford stopped making the Crown Vic in 2011 but not before the car became pretty much synonymous with law enforcement.
It had room for officers, their equipment and... passengers. It was comfy and it could go very fast. The Crown Vic also was durable, and simple to repair when it did need work. And it was affordable.
"The creature comforts of the modern car were not associated with the Crown Vic," Ridgell says. "When it came to something going wrong, mechanically, I know our county garage could turn those around pretty quickly."
When Ford announced it was ending production, Ridgell says his department, like a lot of others, started slowly replacing them.
"We were able to get a longer life-span out of our Crown Vics because we phased them into some administrative staff, but largely our school resource officers," he says. "I think we got rid of our last Crown Vic a year, to maybe two years ago."
Some departments still have and use their Crown Vics. Green Township, for instance, keeps one as a reserve K-9 unit.
Life in retirement
Other than peeling decals and paint, the car at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum is in pretty good shape, though it's been stripped of most of its specialized equipment.
However, Beuke says the flashing lights are still hooked up and the backseat is still set up to transport a suspect. He says they have a police-issue laptop, and are looking for a replica shotgun for the front seat.
"We want to try to, cosmetically if you will, make it as authentic as possible."
Beuke says once it's restored, they'll take it to parades and other events, and have it on display.
"The kids will love it," he says.
Boone County's Philip Ridgell says he was sad to see them go.
"All in all, there wasn't a better car. When we were talking in the office about this interview, we're all in consensus that nothing will ever, ever in our world — it's an iconic vehicle — replace the Crown Vic."
As of publication time, the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum is still looking for a new location. Beuke says they want a place that can show off the Crown Vic and the other vehicles in the collection.
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