Retro Motor City: Check Out Detroit's Talking Police Car From 1936

Imagine a 1930s police car with a ridiculously sized horn on top, politely but firmly giving orders on Detroit’s streets.

Well, that was Detroit’s “Voice of Safety,” or their talking police car that’s featured in this neat retro film clip. There are some cool scenes of downtown Detroit in the video as well.

The “Talking Police Car” (an officer, of course, was doing the talking) was a plan to lessen the amount of tickets written while educating the public.

It feels like this would be useful to bring back, retro car and all, considering the high fines if you park on the QLINE tracks nowadays.

The clip itself was part of the Chevrolet Leader News, a promotional newsreel that was produced right here in the city at the Jam Handy. The building today is now the home to Detroit Soup and other get togethers in New Center.

It’s a reminder that Detroit was an innovator when it came to police technology. Not only did Detroit have “talking” police cars, but we were the first police department in the nation to regularly use radio dispatch.

If you have more information, hit up our submit form. We’d love to see more of these crazy contraptions.