Indiana State Police officially unveiled a new era of patrol vehicles Wednesday — blue-and-white Dodge Durangos and Ford Mustang GTs — that ISP leaders said will boost visibility, modernize the statewide fleet and better equip troopers to combat aggressive driving and street racing across the state.
Standing before the 20 newest troopers receiving their first commission cars, ISP Superintendent Anthony Scott called the rollout “a bridge to the future” for an agency balancing tradition with public safety innovation.
“The new classic two-tone design of our police cruiser symbolizes ISP’s mission to serve Hoosiers with pride, visibility and tradition,” Scott told recruits during the morning ceremony at the District 52 post on the east side of Indianapolis.
“While the color scheme is a salute to our past, it’s also a bridge to the future of the Indiana State Police,” he continued, “and a future that each one of you will help forge.”
It’s the first time in 60 years that the agency has used the blue design. Troopers’ cars during the early- and mid-1960s were white over blue but changed to all-white patrol cars in 1966.
ISP switched all-black patrol cars in 1998, and in 2006 white reappeared as the standard patrol car color, police archives show.
“As these new Troopers begin their service, they carry forward a proud tradition of protecting Hoosiers with integrity and courage,” Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement. “The new patrol vehicles are a fitting way to mark this next chapter — honoring our history while equipping the Indiana State Police for the future.”
The updated look is part of a multiyear overhaul of the state’s fleet.
The 2023 Durangos will phase in as current police vehicles — primarily the long-serving Dodge Chargers — are retired and replaced. The process to replace the older models has already taken several years due to the time needed to outfit and deploy new cars for patrol use.
ISP spokesperson Capt. Ron Galaviz said that once the full transition is complete, the agency will no longer have white patrol vehicles.
“Over the next year, the fleet will look a whole lot different,” he said.
New cars — and a new focus
Public records show the agency spent roughly $26 million to order more than 500 Dodge Durango Pursuit models from Dodge to replace the older Chargers. That older Charger fleet dates back to 2010.
Each fully equipped unit was estimated at about $50,000, with additional costs for outfitting. The new Durangos, for example, come with updated technology like in-car cameras, radar and push bumpers.
“For more than 70 years, the bond between Stellantis and the Indiana State Police has been forged in strength, reliability, and a shared commitment to public service,” said Ryan Austin, the law enforcement program manager at Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge. “We design our Pursuit vehicles with safety, durability, and performance in mind, so that every officer or trooper who steps into one can focus on what matters most: keeping people safe.”
For newly minted Trooper Daysia Tallman, the ceremony marked her first day on solo patrol and the first time taking the keys to a car of her own. The 20 probationary troopers graduated from the academy in July and spent the months since completing field training.
They took possession of their new vehicles and dispersed statewide for the first day of patrol on Wednesday.
“It’s just a really big milestone. Today’s a very important day — and we’re the very first class to have these new vehicles,” said Tallman, a member of the 87th ISP Recruit Academy class. “The trust that they put in you to be able to have your own vehicle — it’s amazing.”
She added that the color and design are intended to improve officer safety.
“It’s supposed to help us be more visible — because now, when you see that blue car, you know it’s a state trooper,” Tallman said. “If we’re on a traffic stop or working a crash, hopefully the new look helps citizens see us sooner and prevents other crashes.”
‘This is my office’
The rollout also marks the first phase of what ISP calls “high visibility patrol,” which includes five marked Ford Mustangs distributed across the state’s five primary areas in central Indiana, Fort Wayne, northwest Indiana, Evansville and Sellersburg.
The high-performance vehicles are especially intended to address a surge in road rage, reckless driving and illegal street racing across Indiana — and be more visible in the process.
Four of the Mustangs are assigned to veteran master troopers with at least 15 years of experience. Troopers selected to drive a Mustang had to submit a memo to the superiors and were hand-selected by Scott. They also had to undergo specialized driving training.
The Mustangs — equipped with 5.0-liter “Coyote” engines, radar systems, in-car cameras and dash-mounted computers — will help to intercept aggressive drivers before they cause crashes, said Master Trooper Nick Klingkammer, an 18-year ISP veteran.
State police officials emphasized that the vehicles are meant to deter, not invite, pursuits.
Klingkammer, who’s assigned to District 5 in central Indiana, was among the five selected to receive a Mustang. During a ride-along, Klingkammer called it “a mobile office” and a tool for prevention.
“This is where I spend my day,” he said, gesturing to the vehicle’s compact interior.
His Mustang had just 759 miles when he left the ISP parking lot on Wednesday. The master trooper hadn’t yet conducted a traffic stop when he started his patrol. He expects his first stop to come sometimes Thursday, after technicians make some final electrical tweaks.
“Any trooper who works the road — their office is their car,” Klingkammer emphasized.
He said the Mustangs’ agility and speed will help troopers safely catch up to drivers traveling 90 or 100 miles per hour, or prevent high-speed chases altogether.
“This car has the capability to drive at high speeds,” Klingkammer said. “We have the training to drive at high speeds. But our goal is prevention — to get one person to rethink their mindset, not to get into a pursuit or street race. If that happens, we’ve won.”
The new vehicles are also intended to boost officer safety and public visibility. Klingkammer noted that the “bold” design attracts attention even when parked on the side of the interstate.
It’s just all part of the same goal — make our roads safer.Indiana State Police Master Trooper Nick Klingkammer
“I guarantee you I’m the talk of the interstate right now because of these truckers going by,” he said Wednesday afternoon while monitoring traffic on Interstate 70 just east of Indianapolis. “They’re going, ‘Oh my God, they’re in a Mustang.’”
While the cars can accelerate quickly — hitting 100 miles an hour in a matter of seconds — Klingkammer said troopers won’t be driving them in snow or ice.
The rear-wheel-drive Mustangs will likely be swapped out for all-wheel-drive Durangos on rough weather days in winter months “to protect taxpayer money” and avoid unnecessary risk.
“At the end of the day, no matter the car, we’re representing our agency, and we want to make sure that we’re doing it in a professional way — where people understand, ‘Hey, yep, I messed up,’” Klinghammer said. “And in doing that, probably nine out of 10 stops that I make, I’m usually getting a ‘Thank you.’ It’s just all part of the same goal — make our roads safer.”
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