Everything you need to know about UK police vehicles

When you see blue lights flashing in your rear-view mirror, it’s easy to assume all police vehicles serve the same purpose. In reality, the UK’s policing system is highly decentralised, with 48 forces operating across the country. As a result, police fleets must be equipped to handle a wide range of operational demands, from public order incidents to specialist tactical support, each type of police vehicle plays a vital role in ensuring our streets are safe.

At O&H Vehicle Conversions, we’re proud to support UK police forces with custom-built vehicles engineered for performance, safety, and functionality. In this article, we explore the main types of police vehicles used in the UK and their specific purposes.

Patrol & Response Vehicles

These are the most commonly recognised police vehicles on UK roads. Built for rapid deployment, response vehicles are used to attend emergencies that require an immediate police presence. Such as 999 calls, traffic accidents and high speed pursuits.

Response vehicles are typically equipped with a straightforward specification, including blue lights, an integrated police control system with ANPR access, and radio and light controls built into the vehicle’s original display. They also feature a secure storage solution for any additional equipment officers may need.

Response vehicles can be built on the widest range of chassis compared to any other police vehicle including Skoda, Ford, Volvo, Peugeot and Vauxhall to name a few. In 2024, Toyota also unveiled there tailor-made patrol car on the hybrid “Corolla” chassis that has become an increasingly popular option for police fleets.

O&H’s all-electric police response vehicle

Cell Vans

Cell vans are also very common and are used to transport detainees safely and securely in either shared or individual high-strength cell units dependant on the size of the vehicle. They can also feature internal CCTV as well as a blue lights system with corresponding police livery.

Cell vans are typically built on Ford Transit Customs as well as Stellantis chassis like Peugeot and Vauxhall.

A Peugeot Expert cell van built by O&H

Unmarked and Covert Vehicles

Used by uniformed and plain-clothed officers for surveillance, unmarked patrols, or specialist investigations. These cars blend into civilian traffic to monitor without alerting suspects. The distinction between an unmarked and covert police vehicle is:

Unmarked – These vehicles have no police livery or easily recognisable markings, allowing them to blend in with regular traffic. However, they are still fitted with visible blue lights, so they can be identified as police vehicles when necessary. By law, at least one uniformed constable must be present in an unmarked police car when it’s in use.

These vehicles are commonly used for traffic enforcement, drink-driving detection, and other operations where a low-profile presence is ideal. They are typically built to the same spec and chassis as response vehicles, the only difference is the lack of easily identifiable police livery.

An unmarked police vehicle with visible blue light fitment

Covert – Unlike unmarked police cars, which can be identified on closer inspection, covert vehicles are designed to be completely indistinguishable from civilian vehicles. They have no police livery, and their blue lights are fully concealed. Officers using covert vehicles are often in plain clothes to remain unnoticed by the public. These vehicles are typically used in situations where discretion is essential, such as sting operations or undercover investigations.

Covert vehicles can be built on virtually any chassis, including older models, hatchbacks, estates, or even minivans, the key requirement is that the vehicle blends in seamlessly with everyday traffic.

A covert police vehicle with blue light fitment hidden behind the grill

Road Policing Unit (RPU)

Road Policing Units (RPUs) focus on enforcing road laws and responding to motorway/large road incidents. These vehicles often carry ANPR cameras, radar speed detection, and can either have high visibility livery for the purpose of deterrence, or can be unmarked/covert.

Road Policing Units can be built on a variety of chassis and specifications to suit their broad range of duties. These include general patrols to deter anti-social behaviour and drink-driving, traffic management, and speed enforcement. Some forces also operate specialist sub-units, such as Collision Investigation Units, which handle the investigation of all fatal or serious road traffic collisions.

A Road Policing Unit

Armed Response Vehicles

Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) transport authorised firearms officers to incidents involving weapons or heightened threats. These vehicles need to be capable of carrying specialised firearms equipment in secure, reinforced gun safes and can be either marked or unmarked.

ARVs are typically built on chassis such as Audi, Volvo and BMW.

Speed Camera Vans

Mobile speed camera vans are a vital tool in the UK’s road safety strategy, designed to monitor and enforce speed limits in areas prone to speeding or high accident rates. Unlike emergency response vehicles, these vans are deployed for traffic enforcement and are often stationed at known speeding hotspots or accident blackspots.

These vans are equipped with advanced radar and laser technology capable of detecting speeding vehicles from both directions, even in low-light conditions. Modern units can operate 24/7 and some are fitted with AI-powered cameras that detect additional offences such as mobile phone use or seatbelt violations. Internally, they feature high-resolution imaging systems, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), and secure data transmission to police control centres.

Mobile speed camera vans are commonly built on robust and spacious chassis such as the Ford Transit, Peugeot Boxer, and Mercedes Sprinter, offering the necessary room for camera equipment, operator stations, and auxiliary systems. These vehicles are typically marked with Battenburg livery, though some may be unmarked to enhance enforcement effectiveness.

a speed camera van for North Yorkshire Police

Dog Vans (K9 Units)

Police dog units transport trained dogs for drug detection, crowd control, or search and rescue. These vehicles require climate control and secure compartments for canine welfare. These will feature kennels, ventilation systems and storage for K9 gear.

These vehicles can be built on a range of chassis types, depending on how many police dogs they need to accommodate – typically between one and four.

An O&H dog van built on a Volkswagen Transporter

Command and Control Vehicles

Used during major incidents or large events, these vehicles act as mobile command centres for coordinating operations across multiple teams and agencies. The specification of these vehicles can vary widely depending on the organisation’s requirements.

For police fleets, they typically include an internal workstation with access to CCTV feeds, radio communications, and welfare facilities. Externally, they are equipped with blue lights and may also feature an awning, external TV monitor, and deployable tables.

O&H’s Incident Command Unit

Supporting the UK’s Police Fleet

These descriptions cover the core types of vehicles found in UK police fleets. However, because police forces operate independently across the country, specific terminology and vehicle configurations can vary from one region to another. Still, this overview should give you a solid understanding of the main types of police vehicles you’re likely to encounter on UK roads.

At O&H, we have supplied a range of different police vehicles to our forces in the UK with the pride of knowing we play a small part in keeping our streets safe. We continue to push ourselves to support our police forces through high-quality vehicles and the latest fleet innovations.

Whether you’re part of a procurement team or simply interested in the different types of police vehicles, we hope this guide has been useful.

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Looking to upgrade or expand your police fleet? Get in touch with us to find out how we can support your police service with reliable, high-performance conversions.