SOUTH LYON, Mich. — A miniature police cruiser parked at a roundabout in South Lyon is doing something a toy car was never designed to do — slow down real drivers.
The pint-sized squad car, currently positioned at the intersection of Seven Mile and Pontiac Trail, has become a local sensation, with commuters doing double-takes and hitting the brakes when they spot it.
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"It's a cop! Wait. What happened to the car?" Renee McCombs, a commuter, said. "A very tiny police car."
"Oh my gosh, this is so cute," Judy Targosz, another commuter, said.
GPS apps are flagging the toy car as a police presence, prompting drivers to brake before realizing what they are seeing.
"Anytime I see police activity I tend to slow down a little," Nicholas Stellhorn, a commuter, said. "I slowed down coming up to the intersection thinking there's a cop. Really funny to come across a little squad car."
"You'd better slow down," Matt Duncanson, another commuter, said.
The mini cruiser has generated buzz on social media, with residents in South Lyon and the surrounding area tracking it as it moves around the neighborhood.
"Everybody loves it. Everybody you talk to. Facebook is wild about it about it around here," Targosz said.
"I just had to come see it for myself," Duncanson said.
Targosz said she knows the young men responsible for moving the car around.
"It doesn't stay here very long," Targosz said. "They're just having fun. It's nothing terrible."
Despite the absence of real police lights, those who have encountered it say the tiny cruiser's presence at the intersection could be making a genuine difference.
"I think it's great. It helps slow people down coming through here," Targosz said.
"It's making an honest effort," Duncanson said. "It's funny."
The Northfield Township Police Department, which serves the area, said it is happy to see the community having some fun.
"It's something to smile about everyday," Targosz said.
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