N.Y. City Adds Chevy, Ford to Patrol Fleet

The Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department will roll out 23 Chevrolet Caprice patrol cars, nine Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, and an Emergency Service Unit patrol truck in the fall.

During the upfitting process, the city is adding LED emergency lighting to the 23 Caprice patrol cars and a new Havis Idle-Right system in order to reduce fuel use when a vehicle is idling at the scene of an emergency. Another feature is interior lighting that uses a photo sensor to adjust light levels. This reduces the lights' brightness levels inside the vehicle in order to improve nighttime visibility for officers. The vehicle also has a tablet computer that works with a new console and keyboard design. This system is connected to a thermal imaging camera system and provides officers with night vision.

For the nine new Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, the city added a multi-color light bar from Whelen Engineering. The city said the front of the light bar can be switched to white LED lights in order to provide scene lighting. The city also plans to use the Havis Idle-Right system on the vehicle to reduce fuel use and a tablet-style computer system with a new console and keyboard design.

For the single Emergency Service Unit Patrol Truck, the city said it replaced the older model with a Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis cab equipped with a custom rescue module. The vehicle features extruded construction that reduces the vehicle's weight while increasing durability. It has a new LED lightbar and a new PTO generator set, which required major interior modifications to install, which reduces the weight and space requirements for hydraulic extrication equipment. Lastly, the vehicle had a dual-band radio that enables officers to communicate directly with other agencies.