The only way to become proficient at something is to do it until you master it. Doesn’t matter if it’s learning to play a musical instrument or shooting a machine gun, do it enough times and learn from your mistakes, and your skills will develop. That’s why people shell out money hand-over-fist for training courses they want to learn something in. For the California Highway Patrol, mastering control of a squad car is a top priority…the vehicle is one of the many tools a cop uses in their day-to-day duties, and in many areas of the state, “day-to-day” has some broad reaching definitions.
In the early 1990s, the CHP had a pretty badass fleet of cars to pick from. The standard squads were Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 cruisers, usually equipped with the 260 horsepower LT-1 V8 under the hood. The final B-body GM cop cars were very popular with the uniforms, since they were comfortable, durable, and faster than even the legendary Mopars of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then there were the two pursuit cars: the Chevrolet Camaro B4C and the Ford Mustang SSP. Both cars are the gearhead dream options list versions of the Camaro and Mustang: base bodywork, top-tier hardware and the black-and-white paint. Which would you pick if you had a choice? It’s not like you were losing…
The footage is old (we suspect 1992-1993 latest) but it shows off some of the more fun points of the EVOC training course. EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course), in short terms, was designed to teach officers how to properly handle vehicles used in operations. There is more to the course than the high-speed handling, but you gotta admit: it’s fun to watch!
