Are Police Cars Bullet Proof?

Since police cars provide safety to the citizens on the roads and the streets, it’s important to make sure these cars are also safe against potential damage, especially from bullets. Moreover, whenever we see a police car roaming around, one of the questions that pop up in our minds is, “Are police cars bullet proof?“

Yes. Most of the newer models of police cars are bulletproof. In fact, if you see the list of modern patrol cars manufactured after 2015, you might barely find a car that has normal doors and windows.

Besides, a number of U.S. police departments have agreed to equip the police cars with bulletproof doors and windows. That way, the police officers will have additional protection, and they can serve the country with zest.

How Safe is a Police Car?

A police car is safer than you think. It’s designed to perform aggressively on the road in an emergency. Moreover, the bulletproof doors and windows of a police car make the glass impenetrable.

The multi-layered bulletproof protection is strong enough to withstand ammunition similar to a 30-caliber bullet of a powerful rifle, like an AK-47.

However, there is a difference in the protection of the doors and the windows of a police car.

Police Car’s Doors

Usually, the doors are protected with steel plates. However, these are not ordinary plates but a blend of Kevlar (used in bulletproof vests) and ballistic nylon fabric. This combination of materials is bolstered with the door from the inside. Moreover, you will see that the pillars of the doors are full of such protection.

When you put that combination for bulletproof protection, the police car’s doors will become heavy. So what are you going to do now?

If you are concerned about maximizing the security of your car by making its doors bulletproof, you might have to add a third hinge for additional support.

That support will help the door keep its balance and avoid breaking due to heaviness.

Besides, if you want to DIY bulletproof your police car doors, you have to weld the cavities of the vehicle and cut them wide open. Only then can you stuff the protective material inside the doors.

Police Car’s Glass

Bulletproof glass in the automobile industry is also called “transparent armor.” Moreover, you might not be able to see the difference between normal glass windows and bulletproof windows.

It’s because the thickness and transparency of bulletproof glass are almost similar to ordinary glass.

Besides, the glass of a police car is made of polycarbonate and lead. This combination is applied to the normal glass and windows of a police car, making a sandwich.

The thickness range of bulletproof glass in a police car is from 0.8 inches to 3 inches. That’s pretty effective against the 9mm handgun to a 50-caliber AR-15 or .30-06 rifle.

Check out the Rugged Ridge Body Armor Kit.

Police Car’s Windows

Almost all NYPD police cars have bulletproof windows. These windows provide bullet resistance and keep the driver and passengers safe. However, you can’t roll down the bulletproof windows of a police car.

Before 2017, these patrol cars were manufactured without bulletproof windows. Police departments had to separately add bulletproof window glass. But this add-on didn’t disturb the trim and sill of the car’s window frame.

Moreover, now you can see almost all the new police cars are equipped with bulletproof windows. This feature is known as “transparent armor” in terms of automobiles.

One unique thing about the transparent armor is there’s no apparent proof of modification. That means people won’t know that your car’s windows are bulletproof.

Therefore, a police car will remain safe and surprise the thieves in case of an encounter.

Have a look at the following car armor levels and thickness used for protection in glass and outer body.

Ballistic Resistance Level (BR)	Guns	Bullet Type	Thickness
B4	Handguns – Shotguns	9mm.357 Magnum.44 Magnum	21 mm
B5	Rifles (AK-47, AR-15)	7.6×33/.30 CAL7.62×39-AK-47	32 mm
B6	High Power Rifle	.380 Winchester FMJ5.56x45mm-M-16	41 mm
B7	Armor Piercing Rifle	30.06 Armor Piercing (AP)	78 mm

Are Passengers Safe in a Police Vehicle?

The passengers, or you can say criminals are safe in the backseat of a police car. There’s a mesh cage designed between the front seats and the backseat. Moreover, that cage is protected by bulletproof glass from both sides.

That ensures that the criminals are safe while traveling, and they can’t harm the officers as well.

If a terror group tries to eliminate their crew member sitting in a police car, their attempt will go in vain because of the bullet-resistant glass and windows.

In addition to that, most of the patrol cars have bulletproof tires.

Police Car’s Tires

If you are talking about normal muscle police cars, they don’t have bulletproof tires unless they are specially manufactured for pursuit. However, there are several police SUVs that are equipped with bulletproof tires.

Since SUVs only come out to run after special cases, their tires have an internal layer that doesn’t get easily pierced when someone tries to shoot the tires and end the pursuit.

Cost of Bulletproofing a Police Car

No doubt, ensuring the safety of the police officers and their patrol cars is the top priority of any police department. But this safety requires a good budget as well.

Most of the police departments in the world don’t get enough budget to make all the police cars bulletproof. The cost of adding basic level protective armor and bulletproof glass can cost you between $15,000 – $50,000, depending upon the size of your car and the areas where you want to make the change.

That’s why not all police cars are bulletproof that you see on the roads.

Final Words

Making a police car bulletproof is a big decision because it affects its performance. When you add armor and additional layers of glass in windows, the weight of the car increases. Thus, the police car will consume more fuel.

Therefore, only the special purpose police cars are made bulletproof, and you might even know whether it’s bulletproof or not. That’s what matters for the top-level safety of the citizens.