Spotter's Guide: How to Spot Unmarked Cop Cars

Police cars need specific equipment to perform their appointed rounds. Many of them are visible to the trained eye, even on unmarked cars. For example, this image shows where lights are commonly added:

It may be hardest to recognize the stealth Mustang GT police car from the side. A keen eye will note:

Spotting a covert police cruiser from the rear is difficult. The stripes, rear spoiler, and the "GT" emblem help this Mustang blend with traffic. But even this car shows some cop car cues:

Just like the stealth Mustang, a working CVPI patrol car needs specific equipment to do its job. Find the following in this photo:

While this may look like a plain Crown Victoria, the following pieces of equipment quickly ID this as a fully-prepared and in-service 2009 Police Interceptor:

From the rear, this Ford Crown Victoria could be a driven by a worker from your city's water department or by somebody's grandmother. However, these features reveal it to be a cop car: