Speedway PD

INDY 500 PARKING ADVISORY!!

Attention residents and visitors:

Parking restrictions for race activities will begin tonight at 6:00 PM in all posted areas marked with special event parking signs.

Vehicles parked in restricted areas after 6:00 PM tonight may be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense to ensure the race course and event operations can be safely set up.

Please check all posted signage before parking and make alternate parking arrangements if your vehicle is currently located in a restricted area.

We appreciate your cooperation as we prepare for a safe and successful event for participants, spectators, and the community.

For event information and parking updates, please monitor our social media pages and official event communications.

Thank you and have a fun and safe race weekend!

Welcome back to our year-long historical series to celebrate the Town’s 100th anniversary! We decided to switch gears with the month of May coming and talk about some of the police cars we’ve had over the years.

The first mention of buying a dedicated police vehicle was in October of 1940. The marshals had been using a Town dump truck for police duty prior to that. One of the difficulties encountered when buying cars in those years was the lack of availability due to World War II. After buying this first car, it would be two years before the Town would be able to purchase another used car. When the second car began having mechanical problems in 1943, no replacement could be found. Regular repairs were continually made to it until another car could be obtained after the end of the war.

Officers shared usage of the police car until a proposal was made in 1970 to purchase enough cars that each officer could have their own to take home. The reasoning for wanting each officer to have his/her own car was to give the appearance of more cars on patrol, and because officers would be inclined to take better care of the cars if they were individually assigned. These new Ford V8s were eventually leased from Hatfield Ford for $129 per month each in 1971. With officers taking these cars home, the tradition of annual inspections began. These inspections of cars and equipment were conducted by the Chief and the Police Board. These inspections continue today, with each shift’s Lieutenant inspecting the vehicles, uniforms, fi****ms, and all issued equipment.

Over the years, a variety of police cars have been used by the Speedway Police Department. The current fleet are the first to all be SUVs. In addition to these SUVs, the department has several motorcycles, ATVs, and other support vehicles.

Next month we will highlight the police department’s relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. Stay tuned!

We have done our best with the assistance of AI to identify the year and model of the cars shown in the photos. If you have an eye for cars and can help us out, post in the comments!

Please join us in congratulating Officer Whitton on successfully completing the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy!

After 16 weeks of rigorous training, dedication, and hard work, he has reached an important milestone and will now be preparing to begin field training with our department. This hands-on experience will further develop his skills and knowledge needed to serve and protect our community.

We’re proud to welcome Officer Whitton to our team and look forward to the positive impact he will make.