Poll: Are Shreveport's New Black Police Cruisers Scary?

Has this occurred to anybody besides me? The Shreveport Police Department's new, all black SUV's look like something out of an action movie. Dark, stealth-like vehicles with Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham behind the wheel. In fact, they're just a couple of fins away from being the Batmobile. And one local elected official even described them as, "Looking a little bit gangster."

But to me, they look scary. And I don't think the police should look scary.

Strong. Authoritative. Attention getting. Even forceful. But not scary.

In September, the city began the process of transitioning to the new, black cruisers. The outfitting of the new Ford Interceptors is nearly complete. TEECO Safety, Inc. of Shreveport was hired to take care of the outfitting of the vehicles with the necessary equipment, a process that takes about a day.

The city purchased 80 of the vehicles and have 40 more on on order. And the SPD plans to phase out the older, white police cars and SUVs as the newer ones become street ready.

Courtesy of the Shreveport Police Department Facebook Page

The majority of the new, black cruisers have "Shreveport" and "Police" in white lettering. But a few of them have those words in an almost unreadable dark gray, making the SUVs difficult, if not impossible, to identify as law enforcement.

At first, I thought I had to be the only on who found the new cruisers more than a bit intimidating. But after mentioning it - only half jokingly - on the radio, a number of folks chimed in, saying they felt the same way.

"They look big and scary," said one listener. "It doesn't look like the police," said another, "It looks like the secret police."

So, what's your opinion? Scary or strong? Intimidating or commanding respect? Tell us what you think!