Who Remembers When New Hampshire State Police Drove this Vehicle?

New Hampshire State Police have rocked a variety of vehicles over the years. I thought it would be fun to take a stroll down memory lane and explore their different eras. (to speak in Taylor Swift terms) Let's start with the early years, shall we?

1937 to the 1950s – Ford and Chevrolet

NHSP was established in 1937 and back then the vehicles used by officers were primarily civilian models that were modified for police work. Back in the early years the vehicles were Ford and Chevy sedans. These cars were reliable and capable and those brands still uphold that reputation today. One of the most popular police vehicles in those early years was the Ford V-8. These early patrol cars were typically painted in black with white doors which became an iconic design that would remain in many police fleets for decades to come!

1950s to 1970s: Muscle Cars and the Era of High-Performance Vehicles

Enter the muscle car era in America. This is the period of time that the New Hampshire State Police began to favor more powerful vehicles like the Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Coronet. These cars were larger and powerful which allowed officers to respond to high-speed pursuits more effectively.

1980s to 1990s: A Shift to More Specialized Vehicles

Enter The Ford Crown Victoria. The Crown Victoria, which had been in production since the late 1950s, was revamped in the 80's and became a favorite of law enforcement agencies across the country. She was durable with a large interior space.

Someone on Reddit who goes by the username Alarming-Chart94 shared the photo below to the New Hampshire subreddit thread the other day. The caption said "Throw back to when NHSP had Crown Victoria's"

Alarming-Chart94 via Reddit

That paint job, though! With 270 upvotes it's clear this struck a nostalgic chord with a lot of people. Here are some of my favorite comments:

cloud_cutout:Part of me still expects police cars to look like that.And there's a special place in hell for people who used to own Crown Vics and had roofracks on top.

zesty_drink_b:Every millennial knows the light pattern of a crown vic from 3 miles back. Now we're squinting in the rear view tryna see if the Explorer has roof racks

Of course the 2000s to 2010s was the Rise of SUVs

NHSP began to experiment with SUVs to provide officers with better visibility, increased space, and improved off-road capability. And with the brutal Winters we have in New Hampshire, an SUV for law enforcement does make the most sense.

The 2020s and Beyond: Modern Technology and Hybrid Vehicles

The most recent chapter in the NHSP’s vehicle history are hybrid and electric vehicles The Ford Police Interceptor Utility (Hybrid) became a popular choice for NHSP. Hybrid cars allow officers to have a quieter, more efficient vehicle without sacrificing performance.
Obviously the types of vehicles used by the New Hampshire State Police have evolved over the decades and as technology advances, they will continue to do so. But far as nostalgic NHSP vehicles go, it seems like the good ole Crown Victoria takes the cake.