The color and design of Pennsylvania State Police patrol cars has stayed the same for the past 26 years...but a change is underway.
     

Like most businesses and organizations, the State Police have undergone a re-branding strategy. The emphasis being on the men and women who wear the State Police uniform, and the uniform itself. The new color is sterling gray. It's easy to notice that the cars now match the color of the state police uniform. The new patrol cars also have the word "TROOPER" in enlarged letters along the side panels.
         

An internal committee, comprised of employees from throughout the agency, believes the color gray has historically been associated with the Pennsylvania State Police. The committee also hopes that people will feel a sense of professionalism and security when they see the gray car with the word "TROOPER" arrive at an emergency scene.
        

The current white cars, with black and gold trim, will slowly be replaced as they hit higher mileage over the next three years. For that reason,there's only a few gray cars on the road right now. The first one to be  delivered to Erie County, last week, went to the Troop "E" recruiting officer.
 

"It's a push for public relations.  They are the eye of the State Police.  They're attending the job fairs.  They're in the public more often to get that image out quickly. That's why they administered those to them first,"said Tpr. Cindy Owens, PSP-Erie Community Service Officer.
  

There was no extra cost for State Police to purchase a gray vehicle over a white one. The new cars do have extra reflective material on them that the old vehicles do not have. That material costs $67 dollars per car.