Why New York Police Drive Smart Cars

Strolling through New York's streets, you'll spot Smart cars in NYPD colors. New York's police force drives French!

When did the New York Police start driving Smart cars?

In the United States, police vehicles are typically large: SUVs and full-size sedans from Ford or Chevrolet. New York is different. Since 2016, the NYPD (New York Police Department) has also deployed an unexpected addition to its fleet: Smart cars. The department received 100 of them in 2016 alone.
There’s an interesting connection to Europe here: these vehicles are manufactured in Hambach, in the Moselle region of France. German automaker Daimler—the parent company of Mercedes and Smart—built its factory there in 1994.

So why does the NYPD use Smart cars? These compact vehicles are gradually replacing three-wheeled vehicles for patrols in parks and other spaces where larger vehicles can’t go—including the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge.
An officer I spoke with in Central Park explained that “because of its small size, the Smart can squeeze through anywhere.”
One downside: the sirens. Smart cars have only a standard horn and lack the wailing sirens typical of American emergency vehicles. You can’t have everything! 🙂