Police officials still disagree — and the public hasn't made up its mind, either—about whether it is better for law enforcement vehicles to be clearly marked or whether they should have inconspicuous paint jobs, the American Municipal Association says.

In a spot check of current opinion on the matter, the association found the following variations in opinion:

In Chicago, Ill., new painting for 448 squad cars was ordered with a view to making them show up better and thus deter persons with criminal intentions. Previously, the cars were always black. The

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GIVE PROS AND CON'S OF UNMARKED POLICE CARS
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new design will be white tops with "POLICE" painted in large white letters on the black sides. On the other hand, the Chicago police, in recognition of the need for unpublicized work, will keep the plain black of their 75 detective bureau cars and the 17 cars of the stolen auto detail.

In New York City, when council members talked of forbidding the police department to use unmarked cars, the head of the police defended this use by saying that they were assigned to areas where there had been numerous accidents and they helped bring about sizable cuts in the accident rate. The council had feared that motorists, on being approached by an unmarked car, would think they were in danger of a hold-up and a race between cars might ensue.

Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington are among states to use unmarked cars on rural highways. The American Automobile Association opposes this, saying that clearly visible squad cars and adequate radar warning signs will secure voluntary cooperation from motorists without the need for an unpleasant "crackdown."

In a poll of Minnesota residents, however, the Minneapolis Tribune found that while there was a split on the question, the majority—more than 70 per cent of both urban and rural population—approved of the use of unmarked cars in police work.

Among the reasons advanced on both sides are: PRO—Drivers will be more cautious because they will never know when a police car is around; more violators will be caught; and if a driver is doing what he should, the markings on police cars do not matter. CON—In case of emergency it is easier to find the police if their cars are plainly marked; it is sneaky for police to use unmarked cars; and people drive more cautiously when they are on the lookout for marked police cars.