WATCH: A group of Brazilians who are obsessed with one of the world's most recognizable police forces - the NYPD - refurbish cars and motorcycles so they can impersonate them
Behind the spectacle is a group of Brazilian fans obsessed with one of the world's most recognizable police forces, whose hobby is refurbishing NYPD cars and motorcycles, inspired by nostalgia for cop movies and shows such as "Law & Order."
"To tell you the truth, it creates some confusion sometimes," said Fabio Denzin, who owns not just a Ford Crown Victoria painted as a NYPD car, but also a van and motorcycle. "People even think that it is the real police from New York on patrol, as if they came to Brazil to help the local police."Brazilian fans of New York Police Department Mariani Morandi, Michelle Grasso and Jhonny Brito, whose hobby is to recreate NYPD's cars and motorbikes, stand in front of Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil May 16, 2021.
Brazil has a history of crimes involving police impersonation, including a 2019 heist in which investigators said robbers had used Brazilian federal police livery to enter an airport and steal $40 million worth of gold and other metals. "It's our passion. Some like military cars, others like boats and we like police liveries," said Eduardo Tai, who started his NYPD replica car 11 years ago. He bought a civilian version of a Crown Victoria, then bought the NYPD accessories piecemeal on websites such as eBay.