Ever walked past a parked patrol cruiser and tried to peek through the window? It’s a mess of wires, screens, and heavy-duty plastic. Most people think it’s just a normal Ford Explorer with a radio stuck to the dash. It isn't. Not even close. The interior of police car setups today are basically rolling supercomputers, and they are surprisingly cramped.
You’ve got the cage. You’ve got the "data terminal." You’ve got a rifle rack that’s usually inches away from the officer’s elbow. Honestly, it’s a miracle they can find their coffee mug in there.
The Cockpit: Where Ergonomics Goes to Die
The front seat of a modern patrol vehicle is a technological marvel and an orthopedic nightmare. Take the Ford Police Interceptor Utility (the PIU), which is the industry standard right now. Engineers at Ford worked with their Police Advisory Board to strip out the center console entirely. Why? Because a standard shifter gets in the way of the laptop. Instead, they moved the gear shift to the steering column.
This creates space for the "Center Console Plate." This is a heavy steel housing that holds the siren controller, light bar switches, and the radio. Usually, brands like Whelen or Federal Signal provide these control heads. They aren't sleek touchscreens; they are chunky, tactile buttons. You need to be able to feel for the "Wail" or "Yelp" siren setting without taking your eyes off a suspect vehicle.
Then there’s the MDT (Mobile Data Terminal). Back in the 90s, these were green-screen bricks. Now, they are usually Panasonic Toughbooks or Getac tablets docked into ruggedized mounts from Havis or Gamber-Johnson. These screens are the lifeline. They handle CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch), let officers run plates through NCIC (National Crime Information Center), and show GPS maps. Imagine trying to type a report while wearing a 20-pound duty belt. It sucks. The seats are actually modified with "side bolster" cutouts so the officer's holster doesn't dig into their hip for an eight-hour shift.
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That Giant Plastic Wall Behind the Driver
The partition. Or "the cage." It’s the most iconic part of the interior of police car design. Most agencies use partitions from companies like Setina Manufacturing or Pro-Gard. These aren't just there to keep people in the back; they are structural safety components.
In a high-speed crash, all that heavy equipment in the front (laptops, radios, fire extinguishers) becomes a projectile. The partition keeps that gear from flying into the back, and more importantly, keeps a combative passenger from grabbing the officer's hair or neck. You’ll notice the glass is usually recessed or tilted. That’s for "weapon clearance." If an officer has to reach for their long gun—which is often mounted vertically between the front seats or horizontally along the ceiling—the partition can't be in the way.
The Back Seat: Not Exactly First Class
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of sitting in the back, you know it’s uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be. Most modern cruisers replace the factory upholstered seats with molded plastic or heavy-duty vinyl. Pro-Gard makes "Space Saver" seats that are thinner than stock seats to give a few extra inches of legroom for handcuffed individuals.
There are no carpeted floors here. It’s all industrial-grade rubber or sprayed-in liners. This is for "biohazard" reasons. If someone gets sick or bleeds, the officer needs to be able to literally hose out the back of the car at the end of the shift.
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- Seatbelts: They are backwards. In a normal car, you reach across yourself. In a police car, the buckle is usually located near the door. This allows the officer to belt in a suspect without leaning their head and torso directly into the "strike zone" of a potentially violent person.
- Door Handles: They don't work. The internal rods are disconnected or never installed. The windows are usually controlled only by the driver.
- Lighting: You might see a faint red glow. Red light doesn't ruin your night vision like white light does.
The Trunk is a Server Room
Open the liftgate of a Tahoe or an Explorer used by a K9 unit or a Sergeant, and you won’t see groceries. You’ll see a "Command Cabinet." This is a slide-out drawer system that holds extra ammunition, spike strips, evidence kits, and sometimes a heavy-duty battery backup.
Modern police cars have massive electrical draws. Between the ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) cameras on the outside and the DVR system for the body-cam uploads on the inside, the factory battery would die in minutes. Most interior of police car builds include a secondary power distribution block. If you look under the carpet or behind the panels, you’ll find miles of 12-gauge wiring.
The ALPR systems are particularly cool. They use small infrared cameras mounted on the exterior, but the "brains" are a processing unit tucked into the trunk. It scans every plate it sees and cross-references it against a "hot sheet" of stolen cars or wanted persons. When it hits, a distinctive "chirp" sounds inside the cabin.
The K9 Exception
If the car is for a dog, the interior changes completely. The back seat is gone. In its place is a "K9 Insert"—essentially a large aluminum kennel. These units, like those from American Aluminum, often feature an "AceK9" HeatWatch system. If the car gets too hot, the system automatically rolls down the windows, turns on a fan, and triggers a "honk-honk-honk" alarm to save the dog's life.
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There is also a "door pop" button. The officer wears a remote on their belt. If they get into trouble during a foot pursuit, they hit the button, and the rear door of the car pops open automatically, releasing the dog to assist.
Why This Matters for the Future
We are seeing a shift toward "Integrated Displays." Instead of a laptop bolted to a pole, newer cruisers are starting to use the car’s actual infotainment screen to run police software. This saves space and is way safer in a crash. However, the transition is slow. Departments are hesitant to rely on proprietary car software when a Panasonic Toughbook is basically indestructible.
The interior of police car setups will always be a trade-off between tech capability and physical space. As long as officers have to wear bulky vests and carry a dozen pieces of gear, the cabin will remain a cramped, high-tech locker room.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you are looking at police vehicle specs for fleet management, hobbyist restoration, or just general interest, keep these things in mind:
- Check the Wiring: If you're buying a used police interceptor, the first thing to check is the "upfit" holes. Most departments "de-commission" cars by cutting wires rather than unplugging them. It can be a nightmare to fix.
- Safety First: Never attempt to install a partition yourself without the proper floor-mounting brackets. In an accident, a poorly mounted partition is a guillotine.
- Sanitization: If you're cleaning a retired cruiser, use an enzymatic cleaner. Standard soap won't touch the bacteria that builds up in the porous plastic of a rear transport seat.
- Power Draw: If you’re adding electronics to a vehicle, mimic the police "timed relay" setup. This ensures that the laptop or radio stays on for 15–30 minutes after the engine stops, but shuts off before it kills the battery.
The complexity inside these vehicles is staggering. It’s not just a car; it’s a mobile precinct, a jail cell, and a high-speed office all rolled into one. Understanding the layout tells you a lot about the daily reality of the people who spend 40+ hours a week sitting in those modified seats.