Editor’s note: This article is part of Police1’s Vehicles Week, which explores how patrol vehicles have become one of the most important tools officers use every shift. Throughout the series, we’ll examine vehicle interiors, fleet trends, officer feedback and practical resources to better understand how today’s patrol vehicles are evolving to support policing. Thanks to our Vehicles Week sponsor, Setina.
Growing up, my dad, an LAPD officer, always referred to his patrol car as his “shop.”
It was his office, workspace and, in many ways, his home base during a shift — the place where he kept the tools he needed, completed paperwork and prepared for whatever call came next.
That idea has not changed. Officers still spend a significant portion of their shifts working from their vehicles. What has changed is everything now packed inside them.
Today, the “shop” has gotten a lot more crowded. Along with the officer, there is a mobile computer, multiple radios, camera systems, emergency lighting and siren controls, chargers, weapons, medical supplies and a growing list of technology that simply did not exist in patrol cars a decade ago.
Somehow, all of it has to fit into the same limited workspace.
That reality has made interior design a much bigger part of how agencies plan and upfit their fleets — not just where equipment goes, but how well the space works for the officer using it.
| RELATED: Leading manufacturer rolls out first police console
From equipment installation to workspace design
For years, the main goal of a patrol vehicle upfit was fairly straightforward: install the equipment, make sure it worked and get the vehicle on the road.
That approach made sense when there were fewer systems competing for space. But today, each new addition affects something else inside the cabin.
A larger computer mount may limit access to the dashboard. A new radio control head may take up space once used for another device. Added chargers and cables can create clutter if they are not planned for from the beginning.
That is why agencies are looking at the interior as a complete workspace instead of a collection of individual products.
The best layouts take into account what officers use most often, what needs to remain visible and what must be accessible in a hurry. They also leave room for officers to move naturally while wearing the gear they carry every shift.
It sounds simple. In practice, it requires more planning than ever.
| RELATED: The patrol car checklist: A veteran-to-rookie field guide
Designing around the officer
One of the easiest mistakes to make during an upfit is judging the interior before the officer gets inside.
A console may look perfectly placed in an empty vehicle. Add body armor, a holster, handcuffs, spare magazines, a radio and the rest of an officer’s duty gear, and the space can feel very different.
That is where the smaller design decisions start to matter.
A console that sits too close to the driver can press against a sidearm. A computer mount may force an officer to twist every time they type or block access to another control. Screens can create blind spots, and loose cables can quickly turn the center of the vehicle into a mess.
None of those issues exists in isolation. Officers are already managing radio traffic, incoming call information, alerts and whatever is happening outside the windshield. The interior should not make that harder.
Frequently used controls need to be easy to find and reach. Equipment should not have to be moved out of the way to access something else. And the officer should still be able to get in and out of the vehicle without fighting the console, computer mount or the gear on their belt.
The same goes for details such as cup holders, charging ports, map lights and armrests. They may sound like small conveniences, but officers use them throughout a 10- or 12-hour shift. When they are poorly placed or missing, the workaround usually creates another problem.
When the layout works, officers probably do not think much about it. When it does not, they feel it all shift long.
| VEHICLES WEEK SURVEY: Does your current patrol car measure up?
How manufacturers are responding
The changes are showing up in the design itself.
Consoles that were once little more than metal boxes for radios and switches are now being built to accommodate a much wider mix of technology. Agencies may need space for larger control heads, additional wiring, laptop mounts, charging ports and equipment that could be replaced or upgraded before the vehicle reaches the end of its service life.
That has led to more modular systems and more choices in how a console is configured.
Setina’s recently introduced Command Console is one example.
The console is available in deeper and wider configurations, giving agencies more room for larger components or multiple control heads — depending on the vehicle and equipment package. It also supports laptop and keyboard mounts, USB and power ports, map lighting and adjustable armrests.
One of the more practical changes is a cutout near the driver’s side to provide additional space around an officer’s holster. It is a small feature, but it shows how specific complaints from the field can influence the final design.
The same thinking applies to the console’s different sizes. A midsize SUV does not have the same interior space as a full-size SUV or truck, and agencies are not all installing the same equipment. Giving them more options at the start can help avoid having to force a standard setup into a vehicle it was not built for.
That flexibility is becoming more important as patrol vehicle technology continues to change. The console is no longer a fixed part of the interior that holds the same equipment for years. It has to support what an agency uses now — while leaving room for what may come next.
Planning for what comes next
The patrol vehicle an agency buys today may still be on the road years from now, even as the technology inside it changes several times.
That means the best interior is not just the one that works on day one. It is the one that can adjust as equipment is replaced, new tools are added and the job continues to evolve.
That planning should include the officers who will spend their shifts inside the vehicle. Upfitters know how to install the equipment. Officers know which details make the space easier to work from and which ones become daily frustrations.
My dad’s “shop” looked very different from the patrol cars officers work from today. The next generation will look different again.
What should not change is the purpose behind it: giving officers a workspace that is ready for the job they are doing now and flexible enough for whatever comes next.
| NEXT: If you could redesign your patrol vehicle, what would you change first?
