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Here's what it takes to turn a pickup into a police vehicle

Ford's F-150 Special Service Vehicle is more than just a light-duty truck with a big ol' "Police" badge on the side.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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Andrew Krok
2 min read

Have you ever seen red and blue lights in your rearview, only to realize that you've been rolled by a pickup truck? In certain jurisdictions, officers utilize a wide variety of vehicles. Just like standard sedans and SUVs, you can't just slap vinyl on a vehicle from a dealership and call it a day. Enter the Ford F-150 Special Service Vehicle.

The F-150 SSV (for brevity's sake) is built to serve, whether it's the local constabulary, a roadside-assistance company or whatever other fleet requires such a truck. Buyers can outfit the truck with SuperCab (extended cab) or SuperCrew (crew cab) bodies. Two engines are on offer: a 5.0-liter V-8 or a 3.5-liter, turbocharged V-6. Four-wheel and rear-wheel drivetrains are available, as well.

In order to ready the vehicle for a life of hard work, Ford traded some comfort bits for extra utility. The floors are vinyl, as is the rear bench seat. The standard alternator has been replaced with a 240-amp unit, and the front seats lack a center console. That extra gap up front allows for plenty of customization, as you can see below in a police-spec F-150 SSV.

2016 F-150 Special Service Vehicle

Plenty of room for activities!

 Ford

If a truck isn't what you're after, Ford will gussy up a number of other vehicles to your fleet-heart's desire. That includes the pre-facelift Expedition, a Transit built specifically for prisoner transport, and a four-cylinder Taurus PPV for green-minded five-o.

Sadly, it appears that Ford's new low-profile LED light bar is not an option, which is a shame. Like we said, nobody thinks twice about the pickup truck slowly catching up to them in traffic.