A police car with custom number plates was spotted in Sydney’s west, but it turns out they have a hidden meaning.
Most police cars in Australia have the standard-fit, state-issued number plates, which can be a good way to spot an unmarked vehicle, as we discovered in a previous story you can read here.
But there are often average-looking patrol vehicles with special, custom number plates seen on social media.
As spotted by a Reddit user, a Fairfield patrol divisional van was spotted driving around with the custom NSW plates “CARTY”.
While it may seem like a play on words for the shape of the vehicle, there is a more serious reason behind the choice of plates.
Why do some police cars have custom number plates?
As one of the users pointed out, these patrol cars have custom number plates to commemorate fallen officers in the line of duty.
This specific example is to commemorate the life of Constable David Andrew Carty, who tragically lost his life after being stabbed outside the Cambridge Tavern in Sydney’s west in 1997.
Another example we have seen of commemorative number plates on patrol vehicles is “BCA12” on a Hawkesbury patrol vehicle commemorating Detective Inspector Bryson Anderson, who passed after being stabbed while attending a call at an Oakville house in 2012.
In a Facebook post on National Police Remembrance Day, NSW Highway Patrol wrote, “The daily reminder of these [life] sacrifices are proudly displayed on special Highway Patrol vehicles around the state. These vehicles bear the initials or names of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice via custom number plates on vehicles which were once allocated to these officers.”
However, there are instances where the police use these custom number plates for promotional purposes too. Early this year, West Australian police turned a seized 2017 Maserati Quattroporte into “a powerful reminder of the broad powers held by the WA Police Force, including the authority to forfeit vehicles involved in serious traffic offences.”
The vehicle was fitted with the custom plates ‘FORFEITED” and put on display throughout the state.
South Australia also has a line of promotional patrol vehicles for road safety measures with plates such as “SLODOWN”, “DONTSMS”, “BEALERT”, “NOPHONE”, and “NOSPEED”, to remind drivers of the biggest killers on Australian roads.
However, suppose you do spot a police vehicle with custom plates on it without a specific message. In that case, there is a chance you are passing a memorial vehicle, and a quick search of the initials will likely come back with a tragic story of an officer who has passed while serving the community.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
