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Many people ask about
our police cars. What size engine does it have? Does it have special
equipment? Etc. To illustrate what is inside a Smithfield Police cruiser, we
will profile the newest additions to our fleet. In April of 2007 the
Department ordered six new vehicles. We have taken delivery of a 2007 model
Ford Expedition as an addition to the fleet. The remaining five vehicles
ordered are four Crown Victoria Police Interceptors to replacing aging
patrol vehicles and one Ford Fusion to replace an unmarked, Administrative
vehicle. In 2006 the Ford Motor Company discontinued making the Taurus,
which had been our primary Administrative vehicle for years. This year we
purchased the Fusion in lieu of the Taurus.
What are some of the standard features of a “police” vehicle? The typical
new cruiser is a 2007 model Ford Crown Victoria, 4-door, sedan. The vehicles
come standard from the Ford Motor Company to police with a 4.6 liter, SOHC,
EFI, V-8 engine. It has a heavy-duty alternator to handle the added load of
emergency equipment installed by this agency. The vehicles also employ a
heavy duty cooling system for water, oil and transmission fluids for extreme
driving conditions. In 2003, Ford made some major improvements to the front
suspension. They have straightened the front frame rails forcing the front
“driving gear” outward. To compensate for the change, Ford was forced to
change the offset of the wheels. They have also abandoned the old
“worm-gear-type” steering box system for a more modern power assisted rack
and pinion system. This system provides the operator with better “road-feel”
and handling. The lower frame assembly is manufactured completely of
aluminum replacing the old “stamped-steel” sub frame and A-frames. This
feature lightens the vehicle curb weight substantially.
What does the typical
“marked cruiser” look like? What kind of equipment does it have? Inside
features and amenities include cloth bucket seats in front with vinyl bench
in the rear for ease of maintenance. Additional factory amenities include
tilt steering, AM/FM stereo radio, interval wipers, as well as power
windows, mirrors and door locks. This year, Ford has provided power lumbar
support systems in the front seats. Agency installed equipment includes a
steel partition to separate police from “passengers”, a shotgun and mount on
the partition, and additional lighting to assist with reading and report
writing in the field. In addition we add a console between the front seats
which houses a variety of equipment; a two-way radio, and a multi-function
control panel for emergency lighting, public address system and sirens. The
console itself is an aftermarket unit designed specifically for this
application.
Cruiser center console
On
the outside, the cruisers feature custom graphics and lettering designed by
the Smithfield Police Department and applied by a local company. The
Department’s logo, or “shoulder patch design” is incorporated into the
exterior design.
Department logo insignia on the cruiser door
What types of emergency lighting do you use? In past years the Department
had chosen the CODE-3, MX-7000 light bar for its patrol vehicles. New
technologies recently developed have proven themselves in the field of
patrol vehicle lighting though. As of this year, 2007, the Department has
been installing CODE-3 LED-X, 2100 light bars in place of the MX-7000. All
of the Department’s marked patrol units have been retrofitted with the new
lighting. The LED, or Light-Emitting-Diode, technology is unsurpassed in the
business. They provide substantially more daytime visibility and safety to
officers and motorists. They are, however, much more costly. We also add
alternating red and blue LED lights on the rear deck next to the third brake
light and alternating, “wig-wag” headlamps. New in 2005 and continuing on
the 2006 and 2007 models, we added a six-outlet strobe light kit. All four
corners of the vehicle and the back-up lights now double as emergency
flashers. The vehicles come standard with an “A”-pillar-mounted, manually
operated spotlight on the driver’s side.
Is there any other
special equipment one might find in a patrol car? The answer certainly is
YES. Inside the trunk there are several other specialized items to assist
officers in everyday tasks. In the trunk you’ll find a water-rescue device,
commonly known as a “throw-bag” with rope. Lakes and streams cover much of
the Town. Also, we carry first aid kits, yellow “caution” tape for crime
scenes, a fire extinguisher, vehicle lock-out tools, latex surgical gloves,
an animal snare, a measuring device for traffic accidents and crime scenes,
chalk, and road flares.
In 1999 we added a
device called STOP-STICKS to our equipment line-up. They are tire-deflating
devices used to safely end vehicle pursuits. Each unit has a set mounted
inside the trunk lid.
Typical cruiser trunk setup
In
1997, as part of a pilot project to determine the feasibility of equipping
every patrol unit with a laptop computer, the Department installed three
Compaq 1130-T Pentium 120 notebook computers into new patrol vehicles.
Although the computers worked well, they just were not rugged enough for the
harsh environment in which they were installed, a police car.
In late 2002 the
Department met with several companies in an attempt to find a more suitable
computer for our application. We settled on the X-Plore Technologies
GenesysII mobile data terminal (MDT). The system is comprised of many
components. The “tablet”, as it is called, houses the main computer and is
portable. It may be operated mounted inside the vehicle or as a tablet in
the field. The tablet is vehicle-mounted to “Lund” brand equipment brackets,
which hold the X-Plore X-pander. The X-pander is the “tie-point” for the
wiring, communication cables, speakers and keyboard. The tablet connects to
the X-pander with a 200-pin connector. Once the tablet is secured to the
X-pander, officers have access to the Department’s report-writing software
and the statewide NCIC and local files through a wireless modem. In 2006,
the Department received two Federal earmarks to assist in the update of the
mobile units. Again we chose a unit made by X-Plore technologies for its
capabilities and “ruggedness”. The Department purchased new X-Plore, model
IX104C3 tablet computers. The new technology offers more features and
extended memory. Access to data by field officers is much quicker.
Mobile data terminal (MDT)
What does all this mean?
Officers have immediate access to information that once took several minutes
to obtain through a police dispatcher. Officers can remain in the field to
complete reports that once took them off the road and out of service, at
times, for several hours. All of this increases levels of service to the
citizens of the Town by making officers more readily available and increases
levels of officer safety by allowing officers to know whom it is that they
are stopping before they even confront vehicle operators.
Officer Jeff Scott demonstrates the
mobile data terminal (MDT) setup.
How does a New England
police agency battle bad weather? The answer: Four-Wheel-Drive. In 1997, we
added the Ford Expedition to our fleet. It is a full-sized four-wheel-drive
sport utility vehicle that has proven itself in bad weather conditions. It
too, has a large, 5.4-liter, V-8 engine. It has electronic
“shift-on-the-fly” four-wheel-drive access that allows the operator to
change drive options based on weather conditions. We have chosen to mark the
units in the same way as our patrol cars. We did, however, due to the size
of the vehicle, opt for lighting other than the traditional “light-bar”. The
Expedition was the beginning of the Department’s use of strobe lights. We
outfitted the trucks with the corner-mounted strobe lights. Seeing how
effective they were, we chose to outfit the entire fleet with the strobe
units. This project was just recently completed. Last year we added a
fourth Ford Expedition. The Department is growing and so too should the
fleet. This year we replaced last of the aging 1998’s. Although no longer in
service to the Department, it will continue to serve the Town in the
capacity of a vehicle assigned to the Building Official’s office.
The 2006 Ford Expedition
The newest addition to the fleet is a
Yamaha Rhino 660 off-road vehicle. A
four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle that seats two officers and is similar
in shape and design to a golf-cart. The Department, acting on the
growing number of off-road complaints, elected to purchase this vehicle to
subsidize their enforcement efforts. More information and pictures
here.
Lt. Alberto M. Fetta (R) and Patrol Officer David M. Walsh (L)
with the Yamaha Rhino 660 off-road vehicle.
Police agencies have
many options now relating to vehicle choices. For years, the Smithfield
Police Department has been running Ford products; the Crown Victoria Police
Interceptor, the Expedition, the Taurus and even the Ranger and F-series
pick-ups for our Animal Control and services divisions. We are very
interested in the new Dodge products and are actively seeking input from
other agencies and individuals who employ them in fleet services. We ask if
you or your agency has any input on the Dodge Magnum, Charger or Durango,
that you e-mail me, Captain Robert J. Beaudry, Fleet Operations Officer at
rbeaudry@smithfieldpd.com. We are also looking into the possibility of
adding motorcycles to our fleet. If you have any input on this matter,
please send it along.
The Department also has a
Mobile Command Center that you can see here.
Thanks for visiting our
page and feel free to e-mail any questions you may have concerning our fleet
to our fleet manager, Capt. Beaudry. |
