News

Actions

Police van posing as Google Maps vehicle

Posted

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police officers attached a large Google Maps logo to a surveillance van in an apparent attempt to disguise it as one of the company's street-filming cars.

Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said Friday that no one was authorized by the department to place the decal on the van. He says it appeared officers were "being creative."

The department was made aware of the decal by a news outlet Wednesday and it was removed the same day.

A Google spokeswoman confirms the van was not part of its Street View fleet and says it's looking into the report.

The fleet records panoramic street views. The most common vehicles used are compact cars mounted with cameras and wrapped in the company's logo and mapping graphics.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Tuesday

12/16/2025

Cloudy

49° / 42°

2%

Wednesday

12/17/2025

Mostly Sunny

59° / 50°

6%

Thursday

12/18/2025

AM Clouds/PM Sun

57° / 46°

11%

Friday

12/19/2025

Mostly Sunny

57° / 47°

6%

Saturday

12/20/2025

Partly Cloudy

57° / 50°

6%

Sunday

12/21/2025

Cloudy

62° / 49°

10%

Monday

12/22/2025

Mostly Cloudy

59° / 49°

6%

Tuesday

12/23/2025

Partly Cloudy

59° / 54°

15%