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A police car ] is a ground vehicle used by the police for transportation during patrols and to enable them to respond to incidents and chases. Typical uses of a police car include transporting officers so they can reach the scene of an incident quickly, transporting and temporarily detaining suspects in the back seats, as a location to use their police radio or laptop, or to patrol an area, all while providing a visible deterrent to crime. Some police cars are specially adapted for certain locations or for certain operations. Police cars typically have rooftop flashing lights, a siren, and emblems or markings indicating that the vehicle is a police car. Some police cars may have reinforced bumpers and searchlights to illuminate darkened areas.
Terms for police cars include area cars and patrol cars. In some places, a police car may also be informally known as a cop car, a black and white, a cherry top, a gumball machine, a jam sandwich or a panda car. Depending on the configuration of the emergency lights and livery, a police car may be considered a marked or unmarked unit.