California Highway Patrol switching to SUVs

When you think of a highway patrol car, you instantly think Ford Crown Victoria. And usually in California Highway Patrol black n' white trim. Since the Crown Vic went out of production last year, you see a few older models out on the roads that have been slowly replaced by the Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, or the Chevrolet Caprice (I know we haven't seen one yet either). But Ford also produces the new Explorer in a police package, and that's what the California Highway Patrol is leaning towards to replace their fleet and to keep it in the Ford family. The CHP maintains a fleet of 4,000 vehciles (give or take a few) and each year, they replace 1/3rd of that fleet with new vehicles.

Due to the ammount of gear that a trooper has to car with him or her on any given day is always increasing. And now with gear mandated by the Department of Homeland Security, the smaller patrol cars offered by the big three just won't cut it.

Of course they'll still be black and white....


Source: California Highway Patrol.

Say what!?! NHTSA offering prizes to police for writing tickets?

Your tax dollars at work here folks. Since the folks over at the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration apparently have nothing more important to do. They have announced their new National Law Enforcement Challenge Award. What exactly does this mean? Well the NHTSA is looking at police agency ticket counts and judging them by it.

To the point where they are taking points away if a department does not have a "no warning" policy. Bonus points can also be awarded to those creative departments that make their officers extra stealthy. This means undercover as say a tourist, Santa Claus, road workers, or my favorite a cruiser parked in the median of the highway with a dummy in seat.

Since the money to support this program is being diverted from gasoline tax revenue. What exactly is the five-O receiving? Well topping out the list of prizes are specially customized Dodge Charge and Magnum police cruisers. "Hot Pursuit" models packing Hemi V8s, cold air intakes and Borla exhaust systems.

Source: TheNewspaper.com