Ford Mustang GT USA Stallings Police 2005

The police department in Stallings, North Carolina, uses a Mustang for traffic enforcement. In 2005 Sergeant J. T. Flynn headed the town's traffic unit and praised the car for its faithful service to the department.

He said the public really liked the car, and most men he stopped wanted to look it over after the paperwork was completed.

Some drivers initially did not understand why he drove such a car and suspected unauthorised use of blue emergency lights. Once he explained that the car was mainly used in situations requiring aggressive driving, the misunderstanding was resolved.

The main reason Stallings bought a Mustang in 2005 was the ease of installing specialist equipment. The department had used Chevrolet Z-28s since 1995, but when these became unavailable it sought a suitable replacement. Flynn had no doubt that the Mustang was a genuine traffic-patrol car and felt Ford could be proud of it.

Other officers were equally proud to have a Mustang in the fleet. Colleagues in other departments hoped their chiefs would see how positively the public responded and buy similar cars. Stallings wanted to replace all its patrol cars with Mustangs because buying and equipping them cost less than full-size patrol vehicles.

Flynn counted the Mustang's “cunning”, speed and ability to catch fleeing motorists among its main advantages. Another was the positive reaction of young drivers, who approached officers wanting to learn more about the car. Officers used these conversations to explain real road-safety issues to young people, who face the greatest risk behind the wheel. Finally, Flynn liked the Mustang because it was undoubtedly a showstopper.

He saw only one disadvantage: working was difficult when the car attracted so much public attention. Even so, he thought this was not entirely bad, since it showed residents that Stallings police were actively tackling the town's traffic problems.

Residents, the police chief, his deputy, the town council and the mayor all supported the choice. Their belief that it contributed to road safety was a real blessing for the department.