Cop suv's instead of cars?

[Trigger Time]

Here's a serious question I want to specifically ask to our law enforcement officers here but also non Leo's. do you feel sitting low in a car puts you at a tactical disadvantage in cases where you may need to get out quick to chase someone or god forbid your being engaged by a weapon? Also it seams like the angle of in and out of a low car all day would cause back or leg pain.
I see some police suv's and just wondered if maybe we should get SUVs for all officers? I think it would be worth it if it would save them or help them. It's just a vehicle not a tank people so please ...... Never mind.

 

[VUPDblue]

I dont have any issues getting in and out of a CrownVic all night long. I would LOVE to have the added room and height of an SUV but dont hate Ford's current crop of police sedans. Our fleet manager mentioned that they are looking at Ford's police interceptor SUV and Chevy's police edition Tahoe for our next round of vehicles. Both are basically the same price point as the CrownVic was and the Ford gets about the same mileage if not a little better. I would love to rock a SUV but I wouldnt complain about staying in a sedan so long as it was similar to the CVPI.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Is it fair to assume that a police-specific model of SUV would have secure storage? I know that the trunk of a car isn't the most secure of storage devices, but is better than assorted items sitting in front of a window.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

The biggest problem for me with drawing while sitting in a vehicle is the center console that is installed to house the siren box, laptop mount, and E-ticket printer. With my gunbelt on my radio touches the door post and my gun toughes the console. The SUVs aren't really that much wider inside with the console installed. It would be nice to be able to step down to get out instead of climbing up and out.

 

[jbombelli]

SUVs are cool, up until you have to do some performance driving (like when you're chasing a fleeing bank robber or something).

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

SUVs are cool, up until you have to do some performance driving (like when you're chasing a fleeing bank robber or something).

The police model Tahoe (2wd) will outperform the Crown Vic and the NM state police used one to PIT a school bus.

 

[IndyDave1776]

The biggest problem for me with drawing while sitting in a vehicle is the center console that is installed to house the siren box, laptop mount, and E-ticket printer. With my gunbelt on my radio touches the door post and my gun toughes the console. The SUVs aren't really that much wider inside with the console installed. It would be nice to be able to step down to get out instead of climbing up and out.

I can see a potential solution for this problem. In a vehicle with a flat floor like the SUV, I see no reason that the front passenger seat could not be deleted yielding room for installation of this equipment without encroaching on the driver. For resale purposes, it would be necessary to retain the seats in storage as opposed to other examples of the practice like, for example, Yellow Freight ordering tractors without passenger seats as they save the cost of the seat when buying in large orders and their policy prohibits passengers anyway.

In any event, it seems to make much more sense to make the vehicle work for the officer operating it rather than the hypothetical passenger who likely will never materialize. Police-specific accessories would likely follow under pressures of the free market, and barring that would be remarkably simple to fabricate.

 

[perry]

Fishers has a bunch of Explorers running around now. They said in their test of them that they got better gas mileage than the Chargers. They're black with low profile light bars... really hard to tell it apart from a roof rack unless you look pretty hard. Sharp looking vehicles.

As far as secure storage, I do believe this is one of the first Explorers that Fishers bought. Video2

 

[Dead Duck]

SUVs are great in the snow and mud. They can go places that most cars can't and defiantly have some power and torque to do many jobs. They do have a tactical advantage being up high (I guess) and are very comfortable.

Police cars in the city are often the the smaller types. They serve a purpose very well. Have good gas mileage for just pepping around town.

Police cruisers and/or Interceptors are very reliable, comfortable, quick and fast as hell. They can sustain their top speed, in high temperature climates and uphill terrains, continuously without overheating, until they crash or run out of gas. Great for country cruising yet many departments have used them as city drivers as well.

Ford has stopped producing their Crown Victoria Fleet altogether so what Ford Interceptors you see out there, is all that's left.

R.I.P. P71s


My only experience is with REAL metropolitan cities and it's outer communities. No comparison to the country bumpkin states like Indiana you have here.

 

[jbombelli]

The police model Tahoe (2wd) will outperform the Crown Vic and the NM state police used one to PIT a school bus.

I'd be awfully nervous trying to do high speed maneuvers in any SUV. But that's primarily because I've almost rolled twice trying to avoid dogs that run in the road. It's made me very paranoid about that.

But that's interesting.

 

[kickbacked]

The suvs probably also have more leg room in the back

 

[VUPDblue]

I do not care about leg room in the back, but I wish there were a stink barrier between front and back.

 

[Trigger Time]

The biggest problem for me with drawing while sitting in a vehicle is the center console that is installed to house the siren box, laptop mount, and E-ticket printer. With my gunbelt on my radio touches the door post and my gun toughes the console. The SUVs aren't really that much wider inside with the console installed. It would be nice to be able to step down to get out instead of climbing up and out.

The police model Tahoe (2wd) will outperform the Crown Vic and the NM state police used one to PIT a school bus.

Those are things I would never have thought of. I'd love to see a school bus being pitted!! Did it roll? That's some power packing SUV!!

I seem a police SUV in beech grove. Pretty nice looking. Looks like it has a lower center of gravity? Or is that just the trim package making it look that way?

 

[VUPDblue]

the 2wd police versions sit much lower than the 4x4 flavors.

 

[Dead Duck]

I do not care about leg room in the back, but I wish there were a stink barrier between front and back.

Are you saying that only criminals stink???

I've known quite a few smelly pigs in my day.

Of course they weren't barfing and peeing on themselves.
(at least in the back of a cop car)

 

[Trigger Time]

Also the fact that the cost are the same are beneficial to dangle the idea in front of politicians. I LOVE the look of the new chargers but it looks like you guys are cramped in them?

Has any of your guys or gals departments looked into the 3m security window film for windows of your vehicles to prevent theft? Or maybe it's a safety issue if you had to get yourselves or a prisoner out. I remember being shocked talking to an officer once and finding out how many police cars are broke into. With the electronics and gear I guess that's a honey hole for criminals but its sad criminals are so bold and stupid.

 

[perry]

Are you saying that only criminals stink???

I've known quite a few smelly pigs in my day.

Maybe he's tired of perps filing complaints

 

[VUPDblue]

I didnt say anyone was a criminal. I simply said that I wish there were a barrier. the vast majority of individuals riding in my back seat do not smell like rose petals...

 

[VUPDblue]

I have been wanting to get a few doors from the salvage yard and apply the 3M film and do some testing. Just haven't had time....

 

[jbombelli]

Those are things I would never have thought of. I'd love to see a school bus being pitted!! Did it roll? That's some power packing SUV!!

I seem a police SUV in beech grove. Pretty nice looking. Looks like it has a lower center of gravity? Or is that just the trim package making it look that way?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX9wkKdesRs[/ame]