Cop suv's instead of cars?

[Trigger Time]

Somehow the vast majority of the police forces on this planet make due with smaller cars and motorcycles. I bet you could manage too.

If your location is right then your in a country of little people. We have some big boys here and women too.

I'm just trying to picture lurch getting out of a fiero.

 

[jbombelli]

Dirtier roads and less well-maintained roads would favor a bigger car or SUV, yet the small cars function just fine elsewhere. That seems like a moot point.

Do you seriously think that possibility of an occasional PIT maneuver is worth the added cost to taxpayers?

Narrower roads, like those ALL OVER Europe, don't. They favor smaller vehicles. The rest are mostly third world countries who would CERTAINLY use better vehicles if they could AFFORD THEM.

Do you have any idea how many chases happen in this country? You might want to go look that up.

 

[Trigger Time]

Do you seriously think that possibility of an occasional PIT maneuver is worth the added cost to taxpayers?

If it stops some half naked idiot from plowing a school bus into an innocent person and killing them then yep ill gladly foot that bill in my taxes. It would be less money than the lawsuit from the victims family suing the city for lack of proper police vehicles that led to their loved ones death. Cause we all know people sue for anything nowadays.

 

[VUPDblue]

smaller, slower, less aggressive vehicles would make the job of the police officer much more difficult and would yield vastly longer response times, inability to effectively pursue and apprehend people trying to flee, inability to effectively enforce traffic law, and all the above is detrimental to the taxpayer. a better vehicle, when available, is a better service to the taxpayers than saving a couple bux on the fleet. Those little cars you speak of would also be more fragile and maintenance intensive, costing the taxpayers yet more money....

 

[jdmack79]

Narrower roads, like those ALL OVER Europe, don't. They favor smaller vehicles. The rest are mostly third world countries who would CERTAINLY use better vehicles if they could AFFORD THEM.

Do you have any idea how many chases happen in this country? You might want to go look that up.

I did look it up. According to the FBI less than 10% of police pursuits involve a PIT maneuver. Of that 10% how many are large cars and how many are smaller? All I know is that a lot them had to small or mid-sized.

 

[jdmack79]

smaller, slower, less aggressive vehicles would make the job of the police officer much more difficult and would yield vastly longer response times, inability to effectively pursue and apprehend people trying to flee, inability to effectively enforce traffic law, and all the above is detrimental to the taxpayer. a better vehicle, when available, is a better service to the taxpayers than saving a couple bux on the fleet. Those little cars you speak of would also be more fragile and maintenance intensive, costing the taxpayers yet more money....

How does a small car make your job so much more difficult? I agree that it would be less effective in a car chase. A vehicle that accelerates more slowly or has a longer stopping distance would slow you down, but it would not cause "vastly longer response times." Would we really be so much worse off if you showed up 10-20 seconds later? How would a Corolla keep you from enforcing traffic laws? You could still pull over cars and write tickets to your hearts content.

 

[VUPDblue]

We will have to agree to disagree. I'm out.

 

[Trigger Time]

When I research to buy a family vehicle I want a car first of all that will keep my family safe if we are in a crash. Maneuverability, space, acceleration, braking, visibility, among a host of other things are important too but safety is number 1. So why would I not demand something just as good for someone whom I have asked to put themselves into harms way (if nothing else for the time on the road since its deadly In this country)??? Also not to be cold but I want to point out that a officer killed in the line of duty is more expensive to the taxpayers than a happy healthy one. I mean no disrespect guys I'm just using a fact for the sale of argument.
Also I think 20 seconds seems like a lifetime when your the one waiting on the guys who need to save your ass to show up. So ill gladly give them faster cars.
I can't believe a tin can car using all of the above as evidence would be more cost effective nor would it improve morale of guys that I seriously don't want coming to work pissed off.

 

[VUPDblue]

non "police" vehicles are not intended for the kind of routine use that law enforcement puts its vehicles through and, as a result, don't last long in that role. I know of a couple departments who have purchased fleets of non-traditional police cars and the cars spent a lot of time broken and wore out faster than the cars designed for that use. My CVPI barely has enough storage space for all the gear I am required to tote around and I'm not even part of any units that require additional specialized gear. If one wanted to chose a vehicle based on fuel efficiency alone then that's fine, but realistically that is not the only decision point when picking a police car. The "other countries do it" argument about using compact non-typical police cars does not hold water. Other countries do not police like we do here. Actually, the densely populated areas like NYC can, and do, use compact non-typical cars just like densely populated areas of Europe and Asia. That works OK in that kind of environment, but that kind of environment is rare, as a whole, in the US of A. People arguing for using "wimpy" cars for police work are usually totally unfamiliar with the demands and routines police departments put on a vehicle. To me, it is like Joe Biden telling us all we need is a double barrel....

 

[jdmack79]

To me, it is like Joe Biden telling us all we need is a double barrel....

I disagree with a lot of your argument, but especially the quoted statement. The only way it is similar "shotgun Joe" is if he were the one who bought you the guns to start with. He isn't involved with your gun related decisions in the slightest. Taxpayers, on the other hand are footing the entire cost of employing you. Therefore frugality should be used when purchasing equipment.

 

[Denny347]

Somehow the vast majority of the police forces on this planet make due with smaller cars and motorcycles. I bet you could manage too.

I dono. I have a rifle and case, shotgun and case, pepperball launcher and case, HUGE gear bag with all my riot control "NERF" gear (pads and helmet), load bearing vest with gear, riot shield, NBC suit/gear, tool box, rain gear, SAPI plate carrier, fire extinguisher, etc all in my trunk. It fills my Crown Vic trunk up. There are about 300 of us with similar amount of gear and this in not counting SWAT, EOD, K9, who have more gear than I. I cannot speak for other forces on the planet, only mine but if they want us to respond to events properly, we have to have our gear with us at all times. My BMW at home could only fit 1/3 of my gear and it has a decent sized trunk.

 

[Denny347]

How does a small car make your job so much more difficult? I agree that it would be less effective in a car chase. A vehicle that accelerates more slowly or has a longer stopping distance would slow you down, but it would not cause "vastly longer response times." Would we really be so much worse off if you showed up 10-20 seconds later? How would a Corolla keep you from enforcing traffic laws? You could still pull over cars and write tickets to your hearts content.

I patrol in our smallest (outside of downtown but they don't count) district while still being the busiest. My beat is 15sq miles of urban living. That is a TON of people and homes/businesses I am responsible for. We haul butt to get to in-progress runs because we have to travel so far to get to them. It is nothing to smell our brakes burning when we arrive. Ever seen front discs glowing at night after a hot run? Most "economy" cars would fail just from that. Special Service Vehicles have larger brakes, oil/tranny coolers, stiffer suspension, larger electrical, and stripped interiors to make space for our laptops, printers, gear bags. Some departments here in the US do use small cars and that's fine. But to say that NONE of us have a use for large vehicles is not accurate. Most of our detectives have gone to Fusions. They cost more because there is no state bid price for them but hey...they are smaller.

 

[Dead Duck]

Somehow the vast majority of the police forces on this planet make due with smaller cars and motorcycles. I bet you could manage too.

No Way!

Have you ever tried to eat a donut on a motorcycle?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

How does a small car make your job so much more difficult? I agree that it would be less effective in a car chase. A vehicle that accelerates more slowly or has a longer stopping distance would slow you down, but it would not cause "vastly longer response times." Would we really be so much worse off if you showed up 10-20 seconds later? How would a Corolla keep you from enforcing traffic laws? You could still pull over cars and write tickets to your hearts content.

Its like the argument about AR-15s and machine guns. If the police can have them, so should the average citizen. If the average citizen can have Camaros, Chargers, Mustangs, Tahoes, etc - so should the police.

 

[j706]

Somehow the vast majority of the police forces on this planet make due with smaller cars and motorcycles. I bet you could manage too.

Some cops in some country's make do with no firearms, no armor,no radios and the list goes on.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Some cops in some country's make do with no firearms, no armor,no radios and the list goes on.

I think this country could make do without the police.

 

[jdmack79]

But to say that NONE of us have a use for large vehicles is not accurate. Most of our detectives have gone to Fusions. They cost more because there is no state bid price for them but hey...they are smaller.

The police simply need to have larger vehicles spread throughout the city that could haul people to jail. The economy car cops would basically be "enclosed" motorcycle officers.

Well, I'm glad I didn't say that nobody should have a big car. Some officers obviously need larger vehicles, but a bunch of them could easily switch to an economy car.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

The police simply need to have larger vehicles spread throughout the city that could haul people to jail.

We already have those, they are called paddy wagons.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Somehow the vast majority of the police forces on this planet make due with smaller cars and motorcycles. I bet you could manage too

Have you looked inside a cop car? There's a lot going on in there. The trunks are more like warehouses.

I think this country could make do without the police.

Well, we DID in the past but that was before cars.

 

[jdmack79]

We already have those, they are called paddy wagons.

Which is precisely my point. If each car doesn't need to have the room to haul people to jail if frees up a lot of space. You would have entire backseat area to turn into your toy box.