Most police cars that I see (here in the U.S.) don’t appear to have hubcaps. That’s what it looks like, anyway – I haven’t looked at their wheels up close. Is this just to save money? Is it for convenience, since they probably have to change the tires very frequently?
I wouldn’t doubt cost factors into it. Also, hubcaps have a tendency to fall off during extreme maneuvering. (Cite: Watch any number of films with a car chase scene. Bullitt comes to mind.) If they come off, then there’s the expense of replacing them and also a safety issue. FWIW, once a truck ran over a hubcap, and the hubcap flew up and hit me in the shoulder and helmet.
Maybe they’ve all been stolen 
Maybe they keep losing them during chases and stuff?
Whats the point of a hubcap anyway?
Ah I see you’ve been to Liverpool then;)
This police cruiser from the Lincolnton, Georgia force has tiny little chrome “hub caps” that only cover the lug nuts and the hub itself. You’d need to remove that cover to take the wheels off, just like you would with full-sized caps.
I guess I’m thinking that (1) those black steel wheels are cheaper; (2) some protection of the hub and wheels nuts from the elements is desirable; and (3) full-wheel plastic hub caps like one often finds these days hinder airflow through the wheels, which could hurt for brake cooling. Not an issue for grocery-getters, but maybe more relevant for a police cruiser. Hence the smaller ones seen on that car. I don’t know - I’m speculating here…
But here is a Prince George’s County (Maryland) Police car with full-wheel plastic hub caps.
These guys appear to have some pretty snazzy alloy wheels on their ride, though. 
A scavenger hunt went on at my University in the 80’s. The joke was on the participants, though, because all the items on the list did not exist.
in amongst the list was “hubcaps from a police car”
Unfortunately; the people who made the list did not realize that police cars did in fact have those little hubcaps.:smack:
(I think only a few people were arrested, and I don’t know if they got out of it or not)
The reason not to run the full size hub caps is that they tend to fly off during chases/high speed cornering etc (like was stated above). You’ll also notice the police cars, at least in the US, always have steel rims, never aluminum. Reason for that is the aluminum rims can crack when running over a median or other sudden shock. That’s also the reason they don’t run a low-profile tire. The taller side wall dampens the shocks and lessens the risk of a flat tire.
Can those little police-style hubcaps be sold to civilians?
I was once heading to a hot call at a high rate of speed when I was passed by my hubcap bouncing down the road. After I tried to find it but it bounced into the woods. Thankfully it didn’t hit anyone since it was probably going 80 mph when it left the roadway. That was right around the time that we switched to the little caps.
Dude, how many car chases do you think we have? 
Come on now, we all know you have monthly quotas.
Ok, no chases…
How about the dash to the doughnut shop?
Hmm, I still havent got an answer for:
Is there really any advantage in having a hubcap?
Seems like visual frippery to me.
My WAG would be that hubcaps might reduce the air flow over brakes, making them heat faster and cool slower, and reducing their efficiency and lifespan.
I always phrased the “small” ones as hub caps (ie capping the hub only) and the big plastic ones as wheel covers.
I want hub caps for my winter wheels - I think they actually look better than the covers, and I am a little wary of the (at least rear) hub always being exposed, so if anyone knows where to get generic ones, I’m all ears. Need 'em, for Hyundais.
Crown Vics/Grand Marquis come with them when purchased (with steel wheels) AFAIK.
Here in Alexandria VA, they have full hubcaps. I never thought to look before.
Hubcaps aren’t a policing and civilian issue, it’s just that’s what police tend to use. So yes, you can buy them if you can find them.
Lots of Police vehicles in California have aluminum wheels. I know for a fact that the Volvos the CHP ran for a while had aluminum wheels, I did the pre-delivery inspection on them.
Here is a Dodge police car with aluminum wheels.
And here is a Crown Vic
And here is a Crown Vic with a hub cap (Not a full wheel cover)
No need for a WAG. It was answered correctly in post 8 and I confirmed it. They full hubcaps are no longer used because they tend to go flying off when driving at high speeds and taking corners.
You can get them on E-Bay, and they’re not illegal to own. If you’ll notice, most cabs have them too. I bought a set of center caps for my '05 Impala. They were used, but in great condition. I didn’t ask where they originally came from; I probably wouldn’t want to know. The center caps are not secured by the lugs, but by three small bolts. Standard rims for non-fleet vehicles do not have the those holes pre-drilled, so you’ll have to drill and tap some holes in the rims.
The center caps come standard for fleet vehicles, such as police/fire cars and taxi cabs. You could check with Ford or Chevy to see if they’re available for private purchase, otherwise, E-Bay would be the way to go.