The Australian state of New South Wales has just received an exciting new police patrol car in the form of a Honda Civic Type R.

The hot hatch has been provided as part of a 12-month sponsorship between Honda Australia and the NSW Police Force. As is often typical with unique police vehicles of this sort in Australia, the Civic Type R won’t be used to chase down criminals.

Instead, it will be utilized in the ‘Eyewatch’ social media initiative which was created to connect people with local police forces and to encourage citizens to be active participants in making their communities safer. With this in mind, the 306 HP (310 PS) Type R will be taken around to a number of different events throughout the state, helping to engage locals and promote positive dialogue with authorities, and will make its public debut at the Fairfield Police and Community Expo on March 16, 2019.

Speaking about the new police recruit, Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said the Civic Type R is the perfect tool to get the public interested in police activities.

“The Civic Type R has been engineered from the ground up to deliver the most rewarding driving experience in the hot hatch segment. It has proven to be immensely popular with customers, enthusiasts and the motoring media, so we’re positive the NSW Police Force will find it to be a great community engagement tool.

“At Honda we believe in the power of helping others, so this sponsored partnership with the NSW Police Force aligns seamlessly with work of The Honda Foundation and its goal of making a difference in the lives of people through giving back to the community that supports them,” Collins said.

While the hot hatch won’t be patrolling the streets, it does look the part thanks to its official police livery complete with red and blue lights.