American Notes Law Enforcement

The Santa Barbara police department has an awesome new weapon in its arsenal: Blue Persuasion. To encourage contact with the community along State Street, the town's main drag, officers now cruise in a customized police sedan that sports a hip metallic blue paint job, murals, mag wheels and a booming stereo.

"It shows the police have a sense of humor," says Melissa Weisenberger, a shop assistant on State Street. Somebody else has a sense of humor too. The organizers of a local auto show have asked Santa Barbara officers to be the judges of the Car Most Likely to Be Pulled Over by the Police contest. Blue Persuasion is not in the running.