If the Italians are using a Gallardo LP560-4 to catch the bad guys, Americans are using a Subaru Impreza STI. The STi is on a one-year loan from Subaru of America to the Itasca Police Department, which uses the high-performance hatchback for street-racing prevention as well as law enforcement and vehicle-safety demonstrations.

The turbocharged, 305-hp Impreza is a fully operational squad car, and officers have issued citations and warnings from the hot hatch. Other police departments should watch out as well, as Itasca’s STi has taken top awards in police-only car shows. These awards include a first-place time in the slalom course, which isn’t surprising considering it probably isn’t too hard to dust off Ford Crown Victorias and Dodge Chargers in an STi.

The STi wears its roof-mounted LED light bar and LED-equipped hood scoop rather seamlessly, but as far as we know there are no plans for an actual Police Interceptor STi. The badge on the STi’s hatch was borrowed from a police interceptor Crown Victoria.

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