- New York State Police added V8 Mustang GTs to highway patrols.
- 2025 models are in use now with more 2026 cars already approved
- Officers say Mustang’s speed is key as pursuits increase statewide.
If you’re driving in New York, and plan to get up to any mischief, be aware that local police have a powerful new car in their arsenal, and more are coming. The New York State Police have quietly taken delivery of a new 2025 Ford Mustang GT, and it’s not just for show.
Officials confirmed that the Mustang GTs will be deployed for traffic enforcement on major interstates and highways throughout the state.
Read: A South Carolina Sheriff Treated His Officers To 17 New Mustang GTs
These V8-powered coupes are joining a wider lineup of patrol vehicles that now leans heavily on SUVs, including the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Dodge Durango. The shift follows Dodge’s decision to stop building the Charger for law enforcement.
Speaking with The Autopian, Beau Duffy, the New York State Police’s executive director of public communication, explained the decision.
He said the Mustangs “will have the speed and handling capabilities necessary for patrol operations and special enforcement details on high-volume interstates and highways, working together with the larger patrol SUVs.”
Duffy also noted that more Mustang GTs are on the way. A batch of 2026 models has been approved, and they “should be available for patrol and traffic enforcement sometime next year.”
More States, More Mustangs
The Mustang GT is catching on with police departments across the country. Forces in Indiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia have already begun using them to patrol local roads.
According to a Times Union report from last year, police pursuits involving New York State Troopers have more than doubled between 2018 and 2024. In Westchester County, those numbers have quadrupled. As pursuits have increased, so too has the number of fatal outcomes tied to them.
The report pointed to a troubling trend: more drivers are simply refusing to pull over when signaled by police. That reluctance has led to a sharp rise in high-speed chases and, with it, higher risks for everyone on the road.
Ford Mustang GTs used by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol
