Tag Search Result: Patrol Cars

"We are all looking to reduce future costs," says Chief Robert Stewart of the Cotati (Calif.) Police Department, whose department sought to save money by reducing its energy use with a new police facility. While green features added $700,000 to the project's final tab, Stewart expects a rapid return on the investment in reduced energy costs.

This week's announcement that General Motors is bringing back the Chevy Caprice patrol car, an officer favorite it stopped producing in 1996, put the editors of POLICE Magazine in the mood to remember the Chevy patrol cars of years past. Chevy has a strong legacy in the patrol car market, and the reintroduction of the Caprice patrol car has excited officers who remember the hot pursuer of the 1990s. We'll start off with the 1954 Chevy Bel Air, a patrol car that was affordable and powerful.

General Motors executives announced they plan to begin production of a new rear-wheel drive Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle today at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Denver. The 2011 Caprice PPV will be available in two configurations: a 355-hp V8 that generates an estimated 384 lb-ft of torque and a tamer V6. An undercover version will also be available. Regardless of how it is configured, the sleek Caprice PPV is likely to make an impression on traffic scofflaws. Revealing the concept car, GM executive Jim Campbell touted the car's bold and commanding presence. He asked, "Can you imagine this baby in your rearview mirror?"

Ford's Police Interceptor is a workhorse patrol car for big-city and small-town LE agencies. The automaker has committed to producing it through 2011. Known as the CVPI, it has been a staple in the fleets of the Los Angeles Police Department and New York State Police, as well as the South Dakota Highway Patrol and Sandy Springs (Ga.) Police Department.

The Carbon Motors E7 prototype patrol vehicle looks something like a cross between an exotic sports car and a prop vehicle from a science fiction film. Its body styling is dynamic, muscular, almost startling, and it has the ability to visibly excite police audiences.

Contrary to some rumors, size does matter. This is just one of the many things the 2007 Chevy Tahoe has going for it. The Tahoe makes a strong impression. While test driving the PD-equipped model for this article, I had many people stop to take a long look and ask me questions about it.

I’ve seen a lot of different cop cars over the years. When I was a kid, big V-8 black-and-white sedans would prowl the highways of my native North Carolina, hunting down speeders. Back in the early ’80s when I worked on small-town newspapers, some of the agencies that I covered drove “K” cars. They were trying to save gas, and the government was trying to keep Chrysler in business.