why are american police cars

[SPAGo 98]

i think the trunk is a much more suitable place for some perps than the cushy back seat of a crown vic...

 

[caitycaity]

"Lowest bidder always wins in any government contract, whether it's police cars or the Space Shuttle."

while this is often true, as a government contractor i can safely say that this isn't always true.

and i'd also like to say that american cars aren't "unsafe."

 

[SPAGo 98]

i didn't mean to imply that american cars are unsafe. what i meant was, push comes to shove, cars such as BMWs, MBs or even VWs perform much better than a Crown Victoria. in most cases, the Crown Vic should be ok, but what happens when the police find themselves desiring better performing vehicles?

 

[Planogirl]

I was under the impression that these cars were not your standard Crown Victorias but actually quite souped up. Or is that not so?

I think that most Fords and Chevies are perfectly safe and quite a few are quite speedy too.

 

[EROS]

No room for perps..........but an excellent "chase" car .....

 

[SPAGo 98]

well, they are a special package (Crown Victoria Interceptor, Imapala Police Package), and i think they do have added features for enhanced performance.

but i think its mostly the fact that everything in America is "cheaper cheaper cheapest!" that bothers me the most.

 

[Planogirl]

Not everything made in America is cheap as you put it. I did see a Cadillac police car once believe it or not. And a Viper would make an interesting police car. Maybe Eros has a picture of one of those?

 

[caitycaity]

just b/c something is inexpensive, doesn't mean it is poor quality.

the ford taurus is one of the safest cars on the road.

 

[SPAGo 98]

by the cheap thing, i was referring to how contracts are awarded to those who can do it for the lowest price, and not necessarily to those who will do the best job.

 

[caitycaity]

also, and not to throw this into the mix, but i'm sure it is a factor... i'm sure there would be some political fallout over a police station not "buying american."

 

[Miss Jasmine]

We buy our police vehicles off of a State Contract. So yes, the contract has been awarded to the lowest bidder, however, it's not a contract with Chevy or Ford directly, it's with a dealership. Yeah strange. Anyway, we have Ford's... Crown Victoria for landside patrol, Explorer for airside patrol. There are special police packages which include several safety enhancements, different cooling system (since these vehicles are driven harder and faster than regular vehicles), enhanced engine, and different seats (plastic in the back, so it can be easily washed after an upstanding citizen has been carted off). In addition, once a PD takes possesion of a car, the department itself adds things such as the cage, window protectors, light bars, spot lights, radios (which in our case include a ground and air radio) etc. These cars are not cheap. And these cars are safe. I have a personal stake in them since my DH is a police officer.

 

[Blondie]

Why does the police car have anything to do with our safety? It's not like they are driving Yugo's. I'd rather the extra money that could be spent on a BMW go to an extra officer anyway.

Good point.

In our fine town, most of the police cars are Crown Victorias. The undercover vehicles are Mustang GT's and Camaros! And just recently I've seen several Ford Explorers as squad cars.

but i think its mostly the fact that everything in America is "cheaper cheaper cheapest!" that bothers me the most.

Try living overseas for a while.

i'm sure there would be some political fallout over a police station not "buying american."

You better believe it!