Reject Police-car Advertising

Charleston (SC) Post and Courier, November 29, 2002

Money crunches at all levels of government have inspired innovations in the increasingly demanding task of raising the revenues needed to meet budgetary obligations, if possible, without significant tax hikes. But not all of the revenue-boosting ideas should be put into practice.

For instance, selling advertising space on police cars would undermine the authority and seriousness of law enforcement's vital mission to protect and serve. Yet that notion is catching on across the nation -- and even is being considered by the town of Summerville, as recently reported in this newspaper.

Summerville Administrator Mark Williams has proposed taking advantage of an offer that would allow the town to pay $1 to lease a $27,000 police car for three years in exchange for allowing the placement of commercial messages on that vehicle. More than 20 municipalities have already entered into similar contracts with Charlotte-based Government Acquisitions Inc. for such police cars -- with another 200 or so, including Harleyville and Ridgeville, joining Summerville on the list of municipalities considering such a move.

Mr. Williams stressed to Town Council that any ads for Summerville police cars would have to be in good taste, explaining: "We wouldn't want a police car running around with a Hooters logo on it."

But which other ads would be in good taste? The Government Acquisitions Inc. Web site includes photos of a squad car with McDonald's Golden Arches across the hood.

Even those who enjoy an occasional Big Mac should be concerned about compromising the public image of police officers by turning their vehicles into marketing tools. Victor Adams, president of Alltech Specialists, a Tampa-based distributor of home burglar-alarm systems, offered this revealing observation on why he's eager to buy such ad space:

"We'll be able to attach our name to local authorities, which gives us near-instant credibility."

That credibility should not be sold. Police use those official cars to chase criminals and speed to the scenes of accidents. Those vehicles should not convey advertising messages that inevitably would also send the message that law enforcement is for sale.