FHP wins first place in national Best Looking Cruiser competition!
FHP photo.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)
Tallahassee, Florida - On July 31, the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) announced the Florida Highway Patrol as the winner of its 2023 America's Best Looking Cruiser Competition!
Final results were tallied at noon and showed Florida Highway Patrol in the top spot with a lead of almost 39,000 votes. In second place was California Highway Patrol, followed by Nevada Highway Patrol, Indiana State Police in fourth, and Kentucky State Police in fifth.
VOTING RESULTS - MOST TO LEAST VOTES
Florida 181, 071
Califormia 142,220
Nevada 122,489
Indiana 101,605
Kentucky 76,417
Georgia 57,387
Missouri 27,787
Michigan 24,679
Nebraska 24,236
Iowa 23,839
Massachusetts 20,713
Tennessee 19,194
New Hampshire 16,018
South Carolina 15,867
Kansas 15,598
North Carolina 10,636
Alabama 9,754
West Virginia 8,144
Ohio 7,968
Alaska 7,852
Texas 7,432
Arkansas 7,128
Virginia 6,862
Minnesota 6,068
Vermont 5,679
Mississippi 5,621
South Dakota 5,530
New York 5,310
Pennsylvania 4,682
Montana 4,508
Maryland 4,425
Utah 3,943
Wyoming 3,698
Idaho 3,664
Rhode Island 3,122
Louisiana 2,459
Arizona 2,380
Colorado 1,873
Washington 1,723
Delaware 1,294
Wisconsin 1,218
Illinois 1,194
North Dakota 979
Oregon 961
Maine 456
Connecticut 201
New Jersey 144
Oklahoma 125
New Mexico 81
TOTAL - - - 1,006,234
The American Association of State Troopers announced the winner of the 2023 Best Looking Cruiser Competition on their website, Monday July 31, 2023: www.statetroopers.org.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and FHP used a variety of strategies to engage the community in this year's competition, which led to an increase in votes and a surge of teamwork throughout the state as various law enforcement and state agencies, media organizations, businesses, and public figures came together to raise awareness of the competition and share in the state effort to win first place.
The competition, which began on July 17, 2023, was fierce and, for those following, consisted of many ups and downs, with no clear winner holding the top spot for a significant length of time. Without a clear forerunner, states resorted to playful yet competitive banter and went head-to-head like never before, in fact there were over 1 million votes cast in this competition.
"I am incredibly proud that the Florida Highway Patrol won first place in this year's competition," said FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. "I know that the effort displayed by those pushing us toward this victory came from a deep love and respect for the patrol and its history as Florida's finest."
“FHP was proud to have participated in this year’s American Association of State Troopers Best Looking Cruiser Contest,” said Colonel Gary Howze, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “It’s gratifying to see the inclusion and enthusiasm for supporting Florida by citizens, other partners, and our FHP members.”
"FHP certainly deserves to be the winner of the Best-Looking Cruiser contest! They went all out with their media platforms, law enforcement partners and engaged the citizens of Florida to all get involved," said John Bagnardi, Executive Director American Association of State Troopers. "We are very proud to have the Black and Tan on our cover!"
The FHP picture submission was taken by retired FHP Lieutenant Jeff Frost and featured a 2019 Dodge Charger at Gatorland in Orlando and a 15 year-old, 8.5 foot-long, 180 pound female American alligator named Tamale.
We thank everyone who took the time to vote in this year's competition and appreciate all the shares and encouragement from individuals statewide. To the other participating states, thank you for stepping up your game and increasing awareness and pride in law enforcement endeavors; we all stand together in our public safety mission.
The 2024 AAST calendar will feature FHP on its cover and will be available on their website, stay tuned for more details. The only remaining question is where to take next year's photo.