The Bellbrook Police Department considered three different police vehicles: the Dodge Charger, the Ford Crown Victoria, and the Chevrolet Impala.
The 2011 Ford Crown Victoria: state’s base bid: $20,333; V-8 engine rated at 250 horse power. Vehicle get 16 miles per gallon/city; 24/highway; rear-wheel drive; its manufacture to be discontinued at end of year.
The 2011 Chevy Impala: base bid: $19,012; V-6 engine rated at 230 horse power. Vehicle gets 17 miles per gallon/city; 20/highway; front-wheel drive. Chief David Helling said they’ve found maintenance costs on front-wheel-drive vehicles to be more expensive.
The 2011 Dodge Charger: base bid: $21,313; V-6 engine rated at 291 horse power. Vehicle gets 19 miles per gallon/city; 26/highway; rear-wheel drive.
BELLBROOK — The Bellbrook Police Department recently replaced two six-year-old Ford Crown Victoria police cruisers with two sporty 2011 Dodge Chargers.
They’re smaller than the Ford Crown Victoria cruisers the department has been using, though they run on bigger 18-inch wheels.
At 5-foot-8, Bellbrook Police Officer Tony Vetters, assigned one of the cars, said for him they are a good fit. He has no problem getting in and out, though there is no room to put the seat back due to the cage wall dividing the officers from the prisoner section.
“It rides well and seems to maneuver well,” he said. It makes U-turns without having to back up as in the Ford Crown Vics, he said. The cars incorporate new technology, with a push button siren and keyless remote entry, and its V-6 engines have 291 horsepower, similar to the horsepower of the V-8 engines on the Ford Crown Victorias they are replacing, he said.
“It’s all about economy,” said Lt. Matt Savino. The new cars are smaller but more fuel efficient, he said.
They’re not a good fit for everyone in the department, Bellbrook Police Chief David Helling readily admits. “We’ve tried some of our bigger officers in them. They may not fit too well,” he said. He said he hopes the manufacturer improves future models with more cockpit space.
Officer Brian Meade, who stands 6-foot-5, could not easily get into the car and had a harder time getting out. “I sat in one and it’s not very comfortable,” he said. “ I’ve not driven one.”
The cruisers, which cost $22,000 each, plus $5,000 each for equipment, are listed as getting 19 miles per gallon in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, said Bellbrook City Manager Mark Schlagheck.
Ford plans to discontinue manufacturing the Ford Crown Victoria after this year, so the department needed to change to another vehicle, Schlagheck said. The city purchased the new cruisers through a state bid from Greve Chrylser in Van Wert, he said.
The two Ford Crown Victorias they are replacing have more than 200,000 engine miles on them, some on-road and some just from idling, Schlagheck said.
The department has seven cruisers, three 2007 model Ford Crown Victorias, and two 2008 Crown Vics. The Fairborn and Oakwood police departments have several Dodge Chargers in their fleets.
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