BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — More than 4,000 miles from Broward County, a fully marked replica of a Broward Sheriff’s Office patrol cruiser was recently spotted parked in Stevenage, a town north of London — leaving both locals and Americans abroad scratching their heads.
“I was really confused,” said Rodney Price, a North Carolina native who stumbled upon the cruiser during a trip for international go-kart racing.
“I looked at the car and it has everything just like you would see in Broward County,” Price said. “The laptop, the stickers on the dash — everything looks the same to me.”
Even the decals identified the vehicle as being from the Pompano Beach district.
Price, who recognized the markings from his travels, posted photos online — where internet users quickly chimed in with reactions.
One user wrote, “Somebody took the wrong exit on the Sawgrass.” Another joked, “Florida always doing the most,” while a third added, “Broward County out here keeping the whole world safe.”
The mystery car, which included police lights, logos, and even handcuffs, sparked questions about how it got there. Price had a theory: “Just shocked me that it was over there and only thing I could put together was maybe it was for the police dogs.”
BSO officials confirmed they were aware of the replica — but they had no hand in its presence overseas.
“There’s a group of car enthusiasts over in the UK and this is something they do,” said BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright.
Still, the agency noted that Florida law prohibits the resale of marked cruisers in this condition.
“Florida law says that whenever a law enforcement agency sells a vehicle at auction, all of the striping, the painting, the decals, the police lights — all of that police equipment has to be removed prior to the sell,” Coleman-Wright said.
That means whoever owns the car in the UK likely rebuilt the cruiser’s appearance after purchasing a decommissioned vehicle.
Price said he waited to meet the owner but didn’t have any luck. However, locals told him the car’s driver is well known — and not just for this replica.
“They said that he was just a big fan and had other things too like motorcycles,” Price said.
BSO added that some of the logos and mottos used on the car date back to older administrations.
Law enforcement agencies have warned that while enthusiasts may collect and replicate for hobby purposes, flashing lights or impersonating police could lead to legal consequences.
Cruiser replicas have also been reported in places as far as Poland, with vehicles mimicking departments in California and Tampa.
As for this Broward-inspired build? BSO isn’t planning to expand its jurisdiction — at least not to Hertfordshire.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
