The Portland Police Bureau has redesigned the color scheme and logos on its patrol cars for the digital age, including its Twitter handle on the rear of the car. The new design, which will appear on new cars entering the fleet, was announced on the agency's Facebook page.

The new cars will be solid blue with white wrapped doors that display the words "Portland Police" and the slogan, "Sworn to protect. Dedicated to serve." A red rose appears between the words "protect" and "dedicated" on the vehicle.

"We wanted to present a modern image of today's police agency on the vehicle, but we also wanted to give a nod to our past," Chief Michael Reese said about the new look. "Many officers have told me that they have always been proud to be a part of that sentiment and it clearly articulates our belief in how we want to serve the community."

In a nod to social media, the bureau will display its official Twitter handle (@portlandpolice) on the rear quarter panel. The bureau hopes the use of the Twitter handle will "encourage people to follow the Police Bureau on Twitter for updates, crime information, and to engage with people in the social media community," according to the release.

The redesign, which didn't trigger a cost to taxpayers, replaces the current design, which began with the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice. The bureau will purchase Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in 2011 and is still considering the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, Dodge Charger Pursuit, and the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor for 2012.

The bureau launched the redesign earlier this year and vetted dozens of designs, including ideas submitted by officers. In five years, all marked patrol cars will have the new design, according to a bureau press release.

The slogan, "Sworn to Protect. Dedicated to Serve," was coined by a Portland Police officer in the mid-1980s and was previously on Portland Police cars in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.

by Paul Clinton