OPP re-introduces black and white cruiser

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers will soon be patrolling Ontario roadways and communities in the traditional black and white police car.

The black and white cruisers will provide a distinctive presence to OPP efforts to make Ontario highways safer and to bring traffic safety issues in line with other important public safety issues and concerns. 

“The black and white patrol vehicle will be instantly recognizable as an OPP patrol car and, with the new LED high visibility roof lights and vehicle markings, will have a greater impact on the visibility of OPP vehicles patrolling our communities and our roadways,” said OPP commissioner Julian Fantino in a news release.

The first black and white cruisers will be patrolling high traffic areas of the 400 series highways by the beginning of March 2007. The full introduction of new cruisers will follow the normal replacement schedule for general patrol vehicles, returning the OPP fleet of patrol vehicles to the traditional black and white configuration over the next two and a half years.

The cruisers are being manufactured at the Ford Assembly Plant in St. Thomas Ontario.

Over the years, the OPP has used several variations of the black and white tradition. In 1989, the all-white cruisers with blue and gold striping were initiated and by 1993, the black and white vehicles were completely phased out. The OPP maintains a fleet of approximately 1,200 general patrol cars.