Goal of a ‘take-home’ car for each officer is closer BY DENNIS WILKEN TGI Staff Writer The Kaua`i Police Department announced Monday it has purchased 23 new police cars, 19 of which will be assigned to patrol officers. The Ford
Goal of a ‘take-home’ car for each officer is closer
BY DENNIS
WILKEN
TGI Staff Writer
The Kaua`i Police Department announced Monday
it has purchased 23 new police cars, 19 of which will be assigned to patrol
officers.
The Ford Crown Victorias, all 2000 models, cost approximately
$23,000 apiece.
Police inspector Mel Morris said the approximately $529,000
to purchase the cars came from the police budget.
According to police chief
George Freitas, the new vehicles feature a new, well-designed “cage” for
transporting prisoners.
The back seats are made of molded plastic, which
prevents people in custody from hiding contraband, according to
Freitas.
“We have found anything from drugs to counterfeit money stashed in
the backseat,” he said.
The backseats in the new squad cars also have two
restraining bars that can lock down over the prisoner’s lap.
Other
improvements in the Crown Victorias include front push bumpers and directional
lighting on top of the car that can assist an officer in routing
traffic.
The Kaua’i Police fleet currently has 80 vehicles.
Freitas
said 10 cars have recently been equipped with defibrillators for medical
emergencies.
The chief said the ultimate goal is to ensure each patrol
officer has a “take-home” car.
“That’s still three to four years away, but
we’ll get there,” Freitas said.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be
reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and dwilken@pulitzer.net
