Public voting opens for Fargo student contest to design school resource officer vehicles
Fargo, North Dakota – The Fargo Police Department is turning to the community to help decide the winning designs in a creative contest that brings students and law enforcement together in a unique way. In partnership with Fargo Public Schools and the Fargo Police Foundation, officials have opened public voting for the School Resource Officer squad car design contest.
Voting is now live on the department’s Facebook and Instagram pages and will remain open until 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 23. Community members are encouraged to participate by reacting to their favorite designs, helping determine which student creations will be featured on real police vehicles.
Students showcase creativity in unique contest
The contest, launched earlier this year, invited middle and high school students across Fargo to design custom wraps for School Resource Officer squad cars. Students were asked to create original artwork while still keeping important elements tied to the department’s identity.
After submissions were collected, a panel reviewed the entries and selected finalists. The panel included school administrators, School Resource Officers, Fargo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cory Steiner, and Fargo Police leadership. From that process, four students were chosen to move forward into the final round of public voting.
In the high school division, the finalists are Kaj from Davies High School and Neila from Fargo South High School. In the middle school division, Vaughn from Carl Ben Eielson Middle School and Lordes from Discovery Middle School were selected.
The winners will be determined by which designs receive the highest number of votes or reactions across the department’s social media platforms. Officials confirmed that the two winners—one from each division—will be announced on Friday, April 24.
The selected designs will not just remain digital concepts. Instead, they will be professionally produced and applied to two School Resource Officer squad cars for the 2026-2027 school year. This means the winning artwork will become a visible part of the community, seen by students, staff, and residents throughout Fargo.
The project is fully funded by the Fargo Police Foundation, ensuring that no taxpayer dollars are used for the initiative. Officials say the goal is not only to highlight student creativity but also to strengthen connections between young people and local law enforcement.
