Government vehicles are, by and large, instantly recognizable by their livery. Barring undercover surveillance vehicles, they’re emblazoned with decals and logos so everyone understands their purpose. Some are handsome and stylish, while others are… less so. The design used by the Nebraska State Patrol kind of falls into that latter category.
The law enforcement agency started with an entirely decent base—a Dodge Charger in black, with acceptable silver wheels. Where it went wrong is the graphic design. We see a single “STATE TROOPER” decal down the side of the vehicle, with the state denoted by the wing mirror. Then there’s the coat of arms on the fender and a further sticker on the rear flank.
The problem with the design is that… there really isn’t any design. The stickers are just slapped on, with little consideration as to their positioning, size, or spatial relationship. Overall, the design looks like it took about 20 minutes because they asked the decal guy to finish it on lunch break.
Time to crown a champion of the NSP Cruiser Tournament! The winner will be our entry into for the National Cruiser Calendar!
158-Tornado Forming
267-Blue AngelsVote in the poll below! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y40LXjYsAk
— Nebraska State Patrol (@NEStatePatrol) July 4, 2024
That’s not to discount the photo, though. Nebraska State Patrol tells us that this pic was taken by one Trooper Frerichs in Madison County. It looks like something straight out of Twisters, everyone’s favorite Dodge ad disguised as a Hollywood blockbuster.
The photo was taken as Nebraska’s entry into the National Cruiser Calendar, a contest run by the American Association of State Troopers. You can vote on your favorite for the next calendar here. It was a strong effort to capture the car with what appears to be a nascent tornado in the background. It’s just a shame the cruiser itself has such an uninspiring livery.
This isn’t a new development. Nebraska has used simple designs dating back many years. The current font and general design idea seems to have been in use since the mid-2000s or so, as seen below in this photo from Flickr user John Mitchell.
As covered by Carscoops, competition to get in the calendar is stiff. The contest is run by the American Association of State Troopers each year. Currently, Florida leads the voting with the pic above.
However, I reckon that the Arizona Department of Public Safety has one of the sharpest liveries out. The contrast of the diagonal stripe, the well-placed text, it’s sharp. Honorable mentions to New Jersey and Minnesota for simple, eye-catching designs.
Honestly, though, a lot of state police have designs most similar to Nebraska’s effort. They generally just have a logo or coat of arms slapped on the door and the words “STATE TROOPER” stuck on the fender. There are some nice attempts at two tone, like the blue and white used in Kansas, but design is definitely not a strong point for state police forces.
Some will argue that spending big money on decals and graphic designers isn’t a good use of public funds. That’s fair. All I’ll say is that it’s good for government vehicles to look well-dressed and proper. Some of these look more like rental cars that someone’s thrown a fake sticker on. And that’s not ideal.
Particularly when it comes to law enforcement vehicles, citizens need to be able to recognize the real thing at a glance. A livery should look intentional and well designed to differentiate these vehicles from regular traffic. A couple of loosely-arranged decals doesn’t really cut it.
The rules are the same for government vehicles as they are for business. A company with expertly-finished vehicles in a recognizable livery will project an image of competence and trust, in a way that a white van with a cheap sticker just won’t.
It’s at times like these that we look to the shining example of the United States Post Office. An agency that keeps it simple, and always gets the look right.
Image credits: American Association of State Troopers, AT&T,
Lately I’ve had to go by a few police cars that have their lights on at night. They’ve had so many lights on them that it was really difficult to see. It was like going by a UFO. A real road hazard. What was wrong with one light up top? (Shakes fist at cloud)