So, Uh, What Kind Of Stuff Is Usually In The Trunk Of A Police Car? Just Curious

There's a lot that separates police cars from other vehicles, but have you ever wondered what cops keep in the back of their cruisers? Surely, they use that space for something, extra sandwiches and other snacks, maybe? Well, according to our research, it turns out there is a wide variety of practical gear stored in a squad car's trunk, everything from safety equipment to riot gear. However, sandwiches weren't listed in any of the sources we could find, sadly.

Of course, which kind of practical gear is stored depends on which police department the officer is a part of and what they do within that department. A highway patrol officer, for example, may carry items for controlling traffic around an accident, like cones and flares, along with crash investigation kits. An officer in an urban area who is often called to disturbances may carry more tactical gear, like bulletproof vests and helmets. Officers who are often called to crime scenes may carry things like crime scene tape and evidence collection bags. Most police cars will also have gear to help in medical emergencies.

Every department is different, obviously. Some nice person donated a whole bunch of homemade stuffed animals to the Franklin, Tennessee, police department. Many of the officers carry them in their vehicles to help calm children at a crime or accident scene. Teddy bears are not standard issue in most police departments around the country, obviously. It may be something they should consider, though.

Sometimes, cops are among the first responders at a scene. That means, depending on the emergency, the officer may have to double temporarily as a firefighter or paramedic. That's why many police cars have a fire extinguisher in the cargo area. Of course, these would only be useful for putting out small fires, as opposed to saving your six-bedroom McMansion that has been set ablaze.

As you can imagine, police generally carry plenty of medical items with them. This would include a fully-stocked first-aid kit, along with a trauma kit containing gear to control severe bleeding. Blankets are often included to keep injured or exposed people warm. Those are probably items we should all carry in our cars' emergency kits. There may also be entry and exit tools in case they have to force their way into a locked car or house. Many police departments issue their officers Narcan, or Naloxone, which is administered to people going through an opioid overdose. Blood-borne kits and hand disinfectant are also must-haves.

We were surprised to find out that many police cars have an AED, or automated external defibrillator, their cargo areas. These machines are used to monitor someone's heart rate and to give them a shock if that rate is too low. It's a good thing cops are trained to use defibrillators. After all, the police can't let McDonald's employees make them look bad.

You may expect there to be a bunch of tactical gear in the trunk of a cop car, and you'd be right. For example, stop sticks, which are specially designed to deflate tires without making them explode, are often stored in the trunks of police vehicles. Police cars may also carry a battering ram, a sledgehammer, bolt cutters, bulletproof helmets, riot gear, and bulletproof vests. There is also something called a "ballistic blanket." We didn't know what that was, so we had to look it up. It's exactly what it sounds like — a bulletproof blanket. 

If an officer is assigned to process crime scenes, they will carry equipment such as crime scene tape, evidence bags, and other collection supplies. To help with accidents and other roadside events, a cop's trunk may also contain traffic cones, flares, and other traffic control equipment. In addition to all of the police stuff, cops need to have practical items like the rest of us carry in our trunks for car emergencies. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to have remembered to pack your ballistic blanket only to have left your jumper cables back at the precinct?

Of course, guns can also be found in the trunk. But these are usually locked in their own locker or rack. That makes total sense. You wouldn't want to have to move around a bunch of shotgun shells and extra clips of ammo to get to your defibrillator.