Police Buying Five New Cars

The will be getting some new cars soon in the form of five new 2012 Dodge Chargers.

City Council approved the purchase on Tuesday.
said the department had to branch out a bit for its new vehicles because the Ford Crown Victoria has been discontinued. The department looked at a few possible replacements, like the Chevrolet Caprice, but found many too expensive or had a difficult time finding one to test out and drive. The Dodge Charger is being used in other local communities, like Broadview Heights and Valley View, Mannarino said, and they seemed pleased with their choice.

The Charger is a bit smaller than the Crown Victoria, Mannarino said, but it’s not a drastic change.

Some of the department’s equipment, like cameras and light bars, can be transferred to the new cars, but most will have to be replaced. The cars will also need graphics. According to the council agenda, the total cost for the new vehicles, plus the equipment transfer and graphics, is about $133,000.

The department has seven other cars that do not need replaced at this time. said the department was originally looking at replacing six vehicles, but that one is still doing well on mileage.