I applaud the police department for taking steps to keep within their gasoline budget for the year. As much as I hate tax increases, we need to see that our cruisers are on the road, making a presence. I like that we have some four wheel drive squads so some mobility is possible in snow storms. That being said, should we be rethinking what is used for the majority of the squad cars? Ford Crown Victorias are comfy, powerful and have roomy rear seats allowing partitions to quickly place people in the back seat and protect the officer from harm. But are they needed enough to warrant not considering smaller, more economical squads to keep on the road yet stay in budget?
I suspect that the power of a big engine needed for high speed chases and massive cars being able to ram runaways is not needed here. Should people need transport, a single van should be adequate or (snicker) a bus ticket.
It might be visually embarrasing to be in a compact car for a squad and stopping Escalades and Explorers for traffic violations, but if not already studied, it should be to enable keeping a visible presence on the road and going to minor crime scenes. Heck, it'd even make for more manueverablity when the Frame Park area is clogged up with cars parking for the baseball games. If after all of this is considered, it is deemed not safe enough for our patrol people, so be it. Their safety is more important to me than keeping the gasoline budget low.
