Why A Michigan Sheriff Drives A 1981 Chevrolet Camaro, And How He Got Drug Dealers To Pay For It

When you think of a modern-day law enforcement patrol vehicle, you probably picture a Ford Explorer or a Chevrolet Tahoe — a barge on wheels that can serve as a mobile office and storage locker for any gear an officer might need. But at least one sheriff is saying no to the SUV-ification that has been gripping America. Instead, his daily driver is a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, powered by a good old-fashioned small-block V8.

CHIPS, But Make It Michigan.

Saginaw County Sheriff Bill Federspiel is a character through and through. He performs in two bands (Shakedown – The Bob Seger Experience and The Kenny Rogers Band, to be specific) and makes sure to stop and talk to anyone who passes by and says hi. Multiple times during our conversation about the Camaro, he took time to break away to check in with his constituents, who also wanted to talk to him about the classic muscle car.

[Editor’s Note: The Camaro is extremely badass, and I don’t doubt that the sheriff is a nice guy. But, after being prompted by a few comments to dig into this issue a bit more, I’m now seeing how big of a shitshow civil asset forfeiture can be. It’s such a big problem that I totally understand why, to some, our short “The Argument Against” just didn’t feel like enough, even if this particular situation isn’t the most egregious example. I mean, just read this part of the Mackinaw Center for Public Policy’s article “Federal court severely curtails civil asset forfeiture in Michigan”:

Wayne County law enforcement officers seize vehicles based on probable cause, often related to people driving or parking in areas where illicit drug use and prostitution is suspected. After having their vehicle seized, people are offered a deal: Pay a fine of around $1,000 and get their car back immediately or risk having it forfeited to the county government. The county can then sell the vehicle and pocket the proceeds.

People can challenge a forfeiture in court, but it is expensive and time consuming. Most make the rational decision to just pay the fine or abandon their property, rather than spending thousands on an attorney and waiting months to get in front of a judge.

That was the subject of a lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice. It takes people up to a year even to get a hearing on a challenge to a seizure. The court ruled that this period was too long, and the hearing needs to happen within two weeks (one judge argued that it should be within 48 hours).

That’s pretty terrible. As some commenters have pointed out, John Oliver — host of the show Last Week Tonight — has discussed the issues associated with Civil Asset Forfeiture in this video:

Great discussion by commenters here, and a while not everyone is in agreement on where to stand on the issue, it’s clear this practice has some issues and those issues should be put right out front at the beginning of this article. Hence this editor’s note. Again, thank you, dear readers, for the input! -DT]

Federspiel says his practice of non-standard patrol vehicles dates back to 2009. He says he used Michigan’s forfeiture law to seize a drug dealer’s 2005 Ford Mustang and repurposed it as a patrol car.

“He was a big drug dealer. So I’m like, you know what? You don’t pay taxes …you’ve never filed a W2 ever, probably. So I’m going to give back to the public, and I’m going to let you pay for my [police] vehicle and my gas instead of the taxpayer … I marked it all up and I put on both doors ‘taken from a local drug dealer.'”

Sending A Message

While that Mustang was the first seized in a drug case, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. The sheriff says he later acquired a Cadillac CTS, which he put ‘taken from a cocaine dealer’ on the doors, a Lincoln Continental Executive Series, and a Honda Element. 

“The idea was to let the public know that if you are a big drug dealer, people don’t like people dealing drugs. It’ll cause a lot of issues on the streets. So Saginaw County, the voters told me that they wanted me to do something about it and make a statement. Well, there was my statement.”

However, the Honda turned out to be the wrong choice for his county. Federspiel says people told him they didn’t like him going around town in a Japanese car. Saginaw is GM country through and through. The formerly GM-owned Nexteer can be traced back to 1906 as Jackson, Church & Wilcox Co. It was acquired by Buick three years later, and it became part of General Motors (many folks still call it “Saginaw Steering”). Long story short, if you want to lose a local election, driving what some perceive as an unAmerican car is one way to do it. The Element was later given to the detective bureau for use as an unmarked vehicle.

A New Strategy

After a while, cars from drug seizures were no longer viable. “Drug dealers started getting smarter about how they do things. They understand the forfeiture law. So they go rent a car. They know I can’t seize a rental car unless the rental company knew they were dealing drugs in it, which they don’t.”

In 2016, he said he was able to sell two seized vehicles to a dealer to acquire a black and white 1967 Ford Galaxy 500. I’m told it was reminiscent of a police car from The Andy Griffith Show. While unique, after seven years of use, it wasn’t quite practical for the needs of a part-time patrol vehicle.

“That car was a bit of a death trap. It was a ’67, and it wasn’t nearly as good of a shape as this (Camaro). It had a three on the tree; try doing that in a police car. It’s a boat. It had some issues we discovered, and I didn’t want to keep spending the kind of money that it needed to get it upgraded. Just it just wasn’t worth it. So I sold it at an auction, and a mayor out in New Jersey bought it.”

Why A 1981 Camaro?

Come 2024, the sheriff says his office was awarded part of a seizure fund that came after working with the DEA on a 17-month investigation. He says kilos of cocaine were coming up into the area from Texas by individuals with ties to a Mexican cartel. During the suspects’ third trip to Michigan, they were arrested. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, says officers seized 13 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, more than a dozen guns, and over $200,000 from the home of the man they say was behind the operation. He was sentenced in November to 60 years in federal prison. In all,  Sheriff Federspiel says $289,000 was seized.

The money awarded went to purchasing a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for $25,000. He says an additional few thousand dollars were spent on the graphics to create a tribute to the California Highway Patrol pursuit vehicle. Instead of “highway patrol,” the Star on the car’s doors reads “sheriff patrol,” and instead of a red spotlight, a red light was attached to the inside fender. Federspiel also says it pays tribute to his commute, as he believes the steering was built at the former Saginaw Steering plant, not far from where he grew up. [Ed Note: I can take one look at that column and tell you that, indeed, that’s a Saginaw column. -DT]. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to look at a spec sheet, but he said this specific Z28 had 50,000 miles, a new 350 V8 engine with 1,000 miles, and a four-barrel carburetor good for approximately 400 horsepower. Per Hagerty’s valuation tool, a Z28 in “Good condition” is currently valued at $24,500. It sounds like his department got market value. However, the stock power at the crank is 175 ponies, so either there have been major modifications, or the sheriff was given bad numbers. Federspiel also claims that a certified appraiser has since valued it at $42,700. He says this means the car is an asset to the office and will make a profit for the county when it is eventually sold.

A Rolling Billboard To Build Bridges

As you might know, sheriffs are unique in law enforcement in that they serve in an elected position, compared to a police chief who is hired or appointed by a governing body. This means they are, by nature, political operators that answer directly to voters.

“This is a conversation starter, as you can see the two guys who just walked up,” said Federspiel. “White, black, rich, or poor, they want to ask me about this car, which is exactly what law enforcement is about: communication. I work for you… How do I start a conversation with the people of Saginaw County? Well, first, they got to know it’s me. I had three people honk their horns and wave to me this morning on my way to get my coffee… it means they feel comfortable enough to talk to me and tell me what they think is important.”

What Happens During An Arrest?

While the Camaro was modified with lights and decals, it’s still a rather barebones vehicle. There’s no roll cage, airbags, or partition to keep a suspect in the back seat. He says if he needs to respond to a call, which happens on occasion, he has two options during an arrest.

A) If the suspect is out of control, he will call a deputy to pick up the suspect in their SUV.

B) If the suspect is cooperative, they get to go for a ride in the front seat.

“I’m going to put you in handcuffs, pat you down, and I’m going to sit you in the front seat. I’m going to double lock your handcuffs so that they don’t close down on your wrist, and I’m going to put the seat belt on you. Explain to you that we’re going to go to the jail like that because if I stuff you in the backseat, it’s not going to work, and I don’t want you behind me. I want you where I can see you, so they’re going to sit in the front seat.”

The sheriff said it was a practice he became familiar with when he drove a Ford Mustang as a patrol vehicle in Florida.

(Note: It was likely the Ford Mustang SSP. He said it looked like my SN-95 that I drove to the interview, but as far as I can tell, that generation did not have a police package. However, Fox Body had the Special Service Package Mustang, which was used in Florida. In fairness, the SN-95 has a lot of similarities with its predecessor, as it was born out of necessity at the 11th hour after the purists rejected the design that became the Ford Probe.)

“They had more questions about the car. We talked about cars all the way to the jail.

The Argument Against

Not everyone agrees with the sheriff’s tactics. Retired sheriff’s department Lt. Kevin Stevens spoke out against the move. He told ABC12’s Terry Camp that money seized during a drug raid was taxpayers’ money and that “wasting it on toys when our deputies need tools is a disservice to our safety and community.”

When I pressed Federspiel, he argued that his department already has new equipment that the county has budgeted for. “Somebody said recently he should have used that money to buy his deputies a brand new car? He’s got a brand new car right there,” he said, gesturing to a nearby Chevrolet Tahoe.

“I have a budget for all of that. I could have bought that car for him and taken that one. But then I’m driving a car paid for by the taxpayers. I’d prefer to drive a car that’s paid for by the drug dealers.”

The sheriff also pointed to a recent budgeting decision as an example of his commitment to saving money. He said the Chevrolet Tahoe Police vehicles have jumped so much in price the department was able to order seven Dodge Durango Special Service Vehicles for the price of six Chevrolet Tahoes. A bold move for patroling a GM town.

During the course of my hour-long conversation with Sheriff Federspiel, I reached two conclusions. First, he takes a hands-on approach to fostering relationships with his neighbors. A common frustration any reporter who’s tried to talk with law enforcement has experienced is “coach speak.” Like most college and professional coaches, police chiefs and sheriffs have learned to say a whole lot while not saying anything. Federspiel seems to buck that trend. Still, while this Z28 and other similar drug bust-financed vehicles are controversial, who doesn’t like to drive down a country highway while blaring ZZ Top or Lynyrd Skynyrd? Well, I guess Federspiel because he noted he took the AM/FM out of it. He has his own police radio to listen to, and, of course, that mighty V8.

All photos by John Gustin except where noted.