Ol Dirty Bootz: Xenophobe or Patriot?

"oldirtybootz" (oldirtybootz)
12/07/2013 at 10:11 • Filed to: None

Perhaps I should have expected to need my flamesuit, considering it was an FP article, but am I some sort of xenophobic nutcase because I think American police departments should use American vehicles?

The article and post in question are here
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

In NYC it's not uncommon to see Nissan Altimas dressed up in the NYPD's blue on white livery and it irks me every time I see one. Call me old fashioned, but local governments should be using the products of their country. There though is where the problem lies. What is more American, a Canadian-built Dodge, Australian-built Chevrolet, or an American-built Nissan?

Do the profits from the sale of a Charger or Caprice not go to Michigan? And despite being built in Tennessee and Mississippi, do the profits from an Altima not go back to Nissan's HQ in Japan rather than staying here with Nissan NA? Is it better to support the jobs here or who the sale benefits? If every PD in the country switched to an Altima or Camry, would that not hurt the stocks of American companies while benefitting foreign ones? The waters are muddy here.

As for the Seattle situation, what sense does it make to buy a foreign built Prius that still needs to be converted into a police car rather than a domestically built Taurus/Explorer that was designed specifically for police duty? That seems fiscally irresponsible to me.

What say you Oppo?

DISCUSSION (19)

daender > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:20

Kinja'd!!!

Why not have both with the built-in-the-USA Ford SHO Interceptor? Or if your police district is run by green tight-pocket pansies then buy the regular FWD Taurus cop car.

Klaus Schmoll > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:25

I wouldn't call you xenophobic for that thought. It works the same way in Germany. Police from Bavaria drive Bimmers and Audi, 5-0 from Baden-Württemberg Mercs, from Niedersachsen VWs and so on. I think it makes sense for public spending to consider local businesses first. As to whether a US made Nissan is better than a Canadian built Dodge is a tough question. Revenue aside, I would prefer the car that gives the most jobs to the community.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > daender
12/07/2013 at 10:32

Actually I saw one of those the other day, wanted to get a SR20 however I know how the NYPD reacts to the public recording them...

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:33

Patriot. I feel the same way.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:35

I think that if they're driving a car built by American workers then it's okay IMHO. Where the rest of the money ends up is fungible anyway.

oldirtybootz > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/07/2013 at 10:40

The Nissan badge on so many patrol cars still bothers me though. Just like the NYC taxi it's part of the NY scenery. If I go to Japan I want to see some Toyota Crown taxis and police cars, ya know?

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:43

I still see more Fords on my way to work though, the SHO Taurus looks quite sharp in NYPD livery.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:46

If the car is built here and the parts are manufactured here, it's American technically. Now, my problem is that why do the police choose such terrible "non-American" cars? Altima, really? Prius? (ok the prius isn't American at all) Pick something decent at least!

William Byrd > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 10:47

I prefer the government, be it at the federal or state level to buy domestic. If we don't buy our own cars why should we expect the populace to?

oldirtybootz > William Byrd
12/07/2013 at 10:49

Exactly!

oldirtybootz > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/07/2013 at 10:52

Out here on Lawn Guyland Ford is still the #1 choice for police.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 11:05

Neither.

Caprices and Chargers produce revenue for American companies that will pay taxes to the US government. The US government will use those taxes to build whatever the fuck they like to do with their money nowadays, like spying on people or giving healthcare, which may or may not benefit the country.

On the other side, Altimas and Camries are built in factories in the US, meaning that those factories will necessarily generate employment in the US, which may or may not benefit the country (sounds strange, but employment is also a market, and probably capitalism's hidden ace with the potential for self-destruction).

So it really is an ambiguous situation if you ask me. I don't have a clear stance on it. In Portugal, public service vehicles are typically made by car manufacturers that build vehicles in the country, such as Toyota and Volkswagen. No idea why the government loves Benzes so much though.

Birddog > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 11:08

I never thought about the brand making much of a difference.
An "American" Cruiser built in Canada or Mexico?
The only patriotic part would be the badge.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 11:16

I'd say that you have to go with whatever is appropriate for the setting. In NY, the current options may just be too big to maneuver effectively through traffic. I mean, no ones going anywhere in that mess. But like here in VA, where we have the real estate for a great getaway, the cops don't need maneuverability as much as they need chasing power.

It's a world market nowadays. The Altima is made here, and the Chargers, Caprices, and Tauruses are made in other countries. Everyday the borders come down a little more on what brand is where. I think that having the mindset as if things are the way they were 40 years ago will only limit what's possible going forward.

Xenophobe? No. Traditional? A little too much so. But we still love you.

oldirtybootz > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
12/07/2013 at 11:25

To be fair, the Taurus is built in Chicago. But I'm glad you all still love me!

iDriveCode3 > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 11:52

Patriot, all the way. I think you're right to raise the question about where the money lands. To muddy it even more, how much US car manufacturer stock is foreign owned?

It's almost a moot point. Thinking you can make a patrol car out of a Prius is a bad joke. Same with the Altima. I guess NYPD can get away with it, but I spend too much time driving over curbs and dirt with too much gear to make that function. Frankly, the Taurus' interior dimension are smaller than the Crown Vic and it just isn't the same. My department bought one this past year and we sold it after six months to pick up another Explorer. We maintain a fleet of about twenty marked patrol cars.

The Crown Vic was a good but not perfect option for law enforcement that left a lot to be desired. In the balancing act of space, power, options, and cost, it checked more boxes than most.

At the end of the day, there's nothing wrong with a sense of nationalism. It's almost a taboo word in California, which is a shame.

oldirtybootz > Birddog
12/07/2013 at 12:19

Or Chicago

Bird > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 13:05

It's not xenophobic. Maybe a little nationalistic (not saying that's good or bad), but that's about it.

As far as the money aspect is concerned, I say it matters most where the jobs are created. That does more for our economy than paying the CEO another $10M.

Birddog > oldirtybootz
12/07/2013 at 15:10

Yeah, technically that's its own little country as far as I'm concerned..

I know the Taurus rolls out of there. But what about all the years of CVPIs and a few of the Tahoes that came down from The Great White North?