Dodge Chargers are taking over the roads of Cherry Hill.
With Ford not manufacturing Crown Victoria models anymore, the police department here researched other models before deciding on the Chargers.
So far, 14 are already in the fleet.
“We’re cycling them in as we get the computers, the light bars, all that stuff, on,” said Lt. Sean Redmond.
In general, the department cycles through cruisers after a certain amount of time and mileage. The cars, which are constantly in use due to the nature of the job, have a shorter shelf life than most vehicles, he explained.
The 2011 Crown Victoria models will continue to be used for as long as they are capable.
“It will be several years before the entire fleet is switched over,” he said.
According to a release on the department’s Facebook page dated July 25, “The new black-and-white Dodge Chargers are marked with ‘Cherry Hill Police’ in large lettering on each side. There is also a small Cherry Hill Police triangle on the front quarter panel of each vehicle. The new decals are made of a highly reflective material that will alert oncoming drivers to the fact that they’re approaching a police vehicle stopped in the roadway — a feature that will ultimately increase officer safety.”
The cruisers have a more modern appearance, explained Redmond.
“They’re good looking vehicles,” he added.
There are approximately 90 to 100 cars in use after factoring in all departments within the force.
“We’re equipped with a state of the art camera system, touch screen mobile computers, computers with 4G connectivity,” said Redmond.
Officers will be in a more secure position when transporting prisoners, too.
Visit the department’s Facebook page for continued police reports at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cherry-Hill-Police/102651889791363 and direct any questions to [email protected].
