Traverse City police are switching patrol cars to all-blue lights and high-visibility decals

TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City police cruisers will soon flash only blue. The Traverse City Police Department is moving its patrol vehicles to all-blue emergency lights and adding reflective decals, the department said in a statement reported by 9&10 News on Friday.

The department said blue light is rare in nature and in everyday road lighting, so it stands out to drivers. Its new light bars also use what it called Dynamic Variable Intensity, which lowers brightness at night to reduce the blinding effect on other drivers approaching a stopped cruiser.

The new markings include reflective hazard striping and an enlarged “POLICE” on the rear, which the department said makes vehicles easier to see when they are parked on a roadside. TCPD tied the change to officer safety and to the sixth pillar of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which covers officer safety and wellness.

New hybrid patrol vehicles

The change comes as the city replaces part of its fleet. A Sept. 25 staff memo from Fleet Director Joel Tapio to City Manager Ben Marentette asked the City Commission to approve buying two 2027 Ford Hybrid Police Interceptors from Lunghamer Ford of Owosso through the state’s MiDEAL cooperative purchasing program, for $152,888.

The memo says the money comes from the city garage fund. The vehicles are part of the department’s take-home vehicle program, and two older units would be sold at auction as surplus.

What drivers should know

Michigan’s move-over law applies no matter the light color: drivers must slow down and, when safe, move over for stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Many Michigan departments use red and blue combinations; the change means some Traverse City cruisers will now show only blue.

Sources:
9&10 News, “Traverse City police transition to blue lights and reflective decals,” Oct. 30, 2026 (department statement), https://www.9and10news.com/2026/10/30/traverse-city-police-transition-to-blue-lights-and-reflective-decals/
City of Traverse City, staff memo, Sept. 25, 2026, Fleet Director Joel Tapio to City Manager Ben Marentette (two 2027 Ford Hybrid Police Interceptors, MiDEAL, $152,888, garage fund, surplus units), https://traversecitymi.civicweb.net/document/369608/
Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Explorer_Michigan_State_Police_car.jpg

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Tags: Traverse City · Traverse City Police · Police vehicles · Traffic safety · City Commission