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,
Not quite laziest. They could have selected Papyrus.
Or Comic Sans lol
I think Lobster, the Google font, has become one of those typefaces over the last fifteen years or so too
One guy prevented that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhlJNJopOQ
At least someone got the reference.
Newman agrees w/ last paragraph
“Nobody really NEEDS mail!”
The good thing about Nebraska’s STATE TROOPER livery is it’s readily identifiable. You know who you are dealing with. In San Pablo, CA, they had some of their SUVs in all black with a simple POLICE in a very, very dark gray semi mat finish that you can only see when the light is right.
They have the same thing a few towns away from me on the east coast. Doesn’t inspire a lot of trust in the department when the livery makes it seems like they’re trying to hide.
Overland Park, KS does that too. White or black cars, with ghost writing in the same color. Police should be visible in case of emergency.
That USPS logo on the LLV is so perfect. It mirrors the angle of the rear door and has the effect of forward motion even when this little box on wheels is standing still.
For several years I used to drive through Nebraska for work every 3-4 weeks. I absolutely loved the simple layouts of the Nebraska State Trooper vehicles as they were easy to spot, unlike some of the neighboring states that had state trooper vehicles with the decals that were nearly completely transparent and can only barely be seen during peak sunlight on a clear day.
Arizona really does have a nice livery. I’m not sure the last time I saw a silver cop car. My contacts are drying out, so I read the fender as “Courteous Violence” at first glance.
The big black diagonal stripe is similar to the Border Patrol’s big green diagonal stripe. And since AZ is a border state I see a lot of both. Sometimes I don’t know whether I’m about to be pulled over for the way I’m driving or for being suspected of smuggling people and/or drugs.
GUARDIAN BEARS
https://mustreadalaska.com/state-troopers-new-logo-slogan/
Vermont CLEARLY has the best state tropper vehicles. Honestly fantastic looking. Theyre basically british racing green with a gold stripe to match the state emblem.
I may be biased, but what the hell, I’ll agree with that.
Just minor, but technically Cincinnati Bell was never part of AT&T. They were the Bell System franchisee for the Cincinnati area, but got that franchise in 1878 long before AT&T existed and were always an independent company.
In the ’50s, Kentucky ran black with a gold stripe. In the ’70s, they ran white and blue with the blue stripe. In the ’90s, they switched to the gray that we still see, today. https://live.staticflickr.com/4152/5000359560_108542c9c5_h.jpg . . . https://gray-wymt-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/U5T7WCFZAZBNRATTSB52X5C7EE.jpg?auth=4937fbc101f22d2dce7f80f8b2c2030981c99e965a59dc3588bd2bbe31a55f33&width=1600&height=900&smart=true . . . https://www.statetrooperplates.com/kentucky.html
TBF it’s still probably the most creative thing in Nebraska.
Nope, that honor has to go to the Bridge they call an archway!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Platte_River_Road_Archway_Monument
On a different planet police cars were white, with the word police in reflective blue sans serif on the side and sometimes on the front, before that they were black with white police words and a big bell on the front bumper. Then there were panda cars, blue and white with the same sort of font, and jam sandwiches (white with an orange or red stripe down the middle). And then came the battenburg, which led to todays somewhat garish vehicles. Without any proof, and no knowledge of the subject I suspect that the typeface used for the word ‘POLICE’ on British police vehicles has stayed the same for a very long time.
Oh sugar! It’s the flippin’ police in their Times New Roman cruiser!
https://live.staticflickr.com/3495/4562117426_9e54106206_b.jpg
With 20 years of living in California, and years of TV shows before that, I’m so used to the CHP’s classic black & white with the star logo on the doors that all the others look weird to me.
Trooper: law enforcement officer
Trouper: veteran actor or member of a touring company
However, a trouper is also a dependable performer, so you could have a trooper who’s a trouper.
I see your Nebraska State Trooper livery and raise you one Cook Islands Police vehicle…
http://www.111emergency.co.nz/POLICE/World/GA382.JPG
Great: when they fold the sides down, all you can see from the side is AKAVA. Unless, of course, that means police in a local language. Cool little truck, though.
“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”.
simple livery like nebraska’s here will be easy to spoof like the 2022 nova scotia mass murderer.
in the other extreme, stealth liveries many PDs employ cause confusion: “is that a real cop or a serial killer?”
2020, not 2022
It seems weird that they put “State Trouper” on the car rather than the name of the organization. That would be like “postal worker” on the mail truck. or just putting signs on all trucks that read “Truck Driver”
Wouldn’t
Nebraska State Patrol Car
or
Nebraska State Patrol
Or
State Patrol
or
Contains State Trouper(s)
be more appropriate?
I don’t recall ever seeing a police car that had “POLICEMAN” on the side.
Well apparently New York puts state police on the back of the car, and trouper on the side.
Driven by Joe Izuzu I suppose.
Still, it seems odd.
IIRC, 50 yrs ago Nebraska did have STATE PATROL on the fender w/ a red light that shone perpendicular to the direction of travel. The officer would pull up along side the “offender” and illuminate the light that said stop.
It would be weird if they put “trouper” on the side, since that would be the wrong spelling.
Sigh, actually in my work I’m more likely to be talking about troupes than troops and I didn’t notice.
Maybe they are just acting like police?
Look up Michigan State Police.
A CLASSIC.
Have you BEEN to Nebraska? Anything more exciting than standard font lettering will give the citizens the vapors!
You clearly have not been to the Corn Palace….
The Corn Palace is in South Dakota, not Nebraska . . .
No wonder Nebraska is so boring.
Is there a difference?
I don’t think the Gov of Nebraska shoots dogs. But could be wrong…
I see Saul Bass AT&T branding, I share the greatest branding video ever made: https://youtu.be/xKu2de0yCJI?si=fq5bEL3Lymp5EmQh
That is pretty amazing. I miss AT&T.
Not to be confused with that ass hats that bought the trademark.
Australia being Australia, I often wonder: have there are ever been efforts to create an actual Main Force Patrol? B/c what a great color scheme.
Kinda… https://editorial.pxcrush.net/carsales/general/editorial/ge5488733971858961470.jpg
Not bad at all. I’m a big fan of marked cop cars that stand out – it’s the whole point, so why not bright colors.
Still better than what passed for police lettering in the ’70s, cheap decals that peeled or faded after less than a year, rarely put on straight, or lowest bidder hand painting buy a guy who was working at Kinko’s the previous week.
Nebraska needed a design that fits cleanly below magnetic pizza delivery signs so the cars can be dual use.
Saves money, seems like a good idea.
Yeah, like, it’s the police, not a business. If it can be identified by most people and doesn’t look like shit, that’s probably enough effort.
Going to a sign company with competent designers doesn’t cost any more than one with incompetent designers.