Police departments might rely on a familiar palette when designing and creating logos for their vehicles, but there are still other, perhaps less common designs worth considering.
For a glimpse at other style possibilities, organizations can look at the way departments in different countries have depicted their official designs on the outside of different models of vehicles. An article on NDTV recently featured photos of different examples from diverse locations across the globe.
Looking at these cars suggests ways that colors and fonts can stay effective while conforming to the shape of a particular vehicle. Of course, it's important to remember that certain colors have very specific cultural associations, and what seems inappropriate in one place works with established police imagery in another.
One example of this is the Volvo S60 Polestar, currently being tested for possible police use in Australia. It features a black-and-white checkered flag design that could make it look more like a racecar to some viewers, even though the word "Police" is clearly visible. Compared to that, the Italian police force's use of blue and white designs is more familiar, at least to the American onlooker.
Another unconventional police car design has been recently adopted by the police in Dubai, UAE, where authorities use luxury brand names to go about their duties. One of the cars that are part of this effort, the Aston Martin One-77, incorporates official imagery and stripes of green, reminiscent of the UAE flag, onto the hood and side of the vehicle.
Police and other official institutions that need to make their vehicles stand out should think of a vinyl car wrap as one possible solution with high potential to make departments stand out.