1981 Chevrolet Camaro turns into a police car after taking drugs

The Saginaw County Sheriff plans to use the classic car as a patrol car, with detainees sitting in the front passenger seat.

The latest generation of the Chevrolet Camaro is a beautiful police car, but what about the 43-year-old model? This classic muscle car was converted for police duty in Michigan using funds confiscated from drug dealers.

The 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 pictured here is the latest addition to the Saginaw Police Department’s fleet. The donor vehicle was purchased at an online auction for $29,000 and then given all the necessary modifications, including police strobe lights and a new “Sheriff’s Patrol” livery.

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Sheriff William Federspiel told WNEM TV5 that all costs associated with the Camaro were covered by a drug forfeiture fund after a Mexican drug cartel was taken down, meaning no taxpayer money was required to purchase the vintage police car.

In an interview with MLive, the sheriff explained that he considers the Camaro “a symbol of his department’s zero tolerance for the illegal drug trade,” and that it gives him an opportunity to communicate his team’s efforts to the public: “People come up to me all the time. They stop me on the street, and they want to know what’s behind this car, and I tell them.”

Despite its age, this Camaro only has about 50,000 miles (80,467 km) on the odometer and appears to be in good condition. The only problem is that the 5.7-liter V8 engine was detuned to 165 hp (123 kW / 167 PS) in the final model of the second-generation Camaro due to emissions regulations.

The Saginaw County Sheriff plans to use the classic model as a regular patrol car to combat drug dealers. Since the two-door Camaro has limited rear space, the sheriff will put them in the front passenger seat.

The classic Camaro isn’t the first police car the Saginaw Police Department has hired using drug money. Previous examples include a 2010 Ford Mustang GT and a 2003 Cadillac CTS, both of which were adorned with stickers letting everyone know they were confiscated from local drug dealers. In the past, they also purchased a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 Custom, but they were forced to sell it due to its age.

Screenshot: WNEM TV5