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If you see a NYPD cruiser speeding around (not during an Operation Hercules exercise that involves like 30-50 cruisers doing a ballet), it might just be the brand new 2006 Dodge Charger the police are testing out this summer. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly introduced the 15 new cars yesterday, explaining the NYPD wanted to diversify its fleet, as it's currently made up of only Chevy Impalas and Ford Crown Vics. Plus they wanted to "add muscle in the car department" - the Charger has Hemistry! Another interesting thing about the NYPD Charger: It has a "stealth mode" - amNew York says "the interior lights are dimmed to look like the car is turned off." Appropriate for neighborhood busts?
Triborough has a cool set of police car photographs on Flickr, including many older makes. Which brings us to a quote from the NYPD Fleet Services director, Leonard Lesko, who is retiring and said, "This is the last car I'm introducing to the NYPD. The first car I brought in was the 1972 black, green and white Plymouth Fury with no power steering or air conditioning. We've come a long way."
Photograph from Mary Altaffer/AP
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dram. 0-60 in 6.5 seconds? that will surely come in handy on the streets of nyc.
Why do I get the feeling Dodge made out like a bandit in this deal? Sure they are doing tests right now and most likely signing the deal later.
What's wrong with Priuss'? ABC news did a piece on how other police depts are looking at different cars due to gas prices.
Whatever r. kelly want's he'll get, I didn't vote for his husband so don't blame me.
those Dodges are going to be used most likely on the FDR and WSH where their speed will come in handy
these cars weren't meant for normal patrols
You mean the elite Highway Patrol bureau.
But did it say that in the press release, Kelly wanted to "diversify" the fleet so downtime would be minimal. I think it's still going to the RMP fleet.
These new police cars remind me of the "Pursuit" and "Interceptor" cars of the original Mad Max movie--which may be both a good and bad thing considering that they'll be used on the streets of NYC, not the post-apocalyptic Australian outback...
These cars have better engines & brakes than the current Crown Vic's (which Ford is phasing out), there is nothing wrong with the NYPD's choice here.
A Prius would be incredibly impractical.
Those NYPD Chargers might need a new color scheme lest the stealth mode be compromised.
tien, if you would get your head out of your ass and look at a map of NYC, you would notice these things called "highways" and "parkways," especially in the boroughs beyond Manhattan. Weird, huh?
wait...what are highways? and parkways? i don't know such things.
There are only going to be 15 of these in basically an in service test.
And thanks for the link to my photos!