Prius on patrol

[xcel]

Is new police vehicle a practical purchase or affront to U.S. automakers?

Dave Person - Kalamazoo Gazette - Feb. 13, 2009

Officer Brad Fall next to the Parchment 2008 Toyota Prius while to patrol the 1.5 square miles of the city. Photo -- Tess McEnroe

After reading the entire article, if these guys even had the slightest clue about Fleet resale, they would be glad Parchment chose a Prius -- Ed.

PARCHMENT -- Stu Smith cringes when he sees the foreign-made "baby police car" as he makes his daily commute through Parchment to his job with an automotive supplier in Portage.

"That's the kind of thing Ann Arbor would do, but Parchment, which has been historically a blue-collar town? That's just wrong," said Smith, who lives just north of Parchment in Cooper Township.

City Manager Dennis Durham says, however, that other than a couple of negative phone calls, the response to the Toyota Prius that officers began patrolling city streets in last fall has been nothing but positive.

The police officers see the benefit in it, and definitely the City Commission and citizens who have taken time to comment on it have made positive comments," Durham said of the energy-efficient, gas-saving hybrid that gets 40 miles to a gallon and runs mostly on battery power.

Smith isn't buying it. Since a Letter to the Editor he wrote to the Kalamazoo Gazette was published in November, he has received "hundreds" of comments, all agreeing the city acted irresponsibly, he said.
"Being 'green' is great, but is that an issue in Michigan? Right now I think the underlying issue is our economy," the Cooper Township resident said...

Smith said the car is too small to practically transport inmates, would be useless in a high-speed chase, had too high of a price tag to begin with, and will be difficult to get parts for and repair… [Read More]

[bestmapman]

This seems like a great use for the Prius.

[bnther]

Smith is an idiot. He's worried how this will offend the US automotive manufacturers?! The article pointed out how the township originally looked at the Ford hybrids but found that they didn't measure up to the Prius.

Smith also has issue with how small the back seat is "too small to practically transport inmates." Practically?! What does that mean? Would he rather use the tax money and get them a limo ride?

I've ridden in the back seat of a Prius and found that there was plenty of room. Frankly, I could care less if a prisoner finds that uncomfortable. What Parchment did was nothing less than the absolute right thing. I would much rather see my tax dollars spent wisely than spend extra and buy an inferior car.

I say if Smith feels that strongly about it then he should donate the difference in purchase price and operating costs. Otherwise, quit trying to get my taxes raised. (idiot!)

[Bruce]

Police duty is a killer app for hybrids...cop cars spend nearly all their time idling.

[FireEngineer]

Northern Illinois University has an all hybrid police fleet to patrol the campus, mostly 2004-5 Prius and recently a few Ford Escape hybrids. For prisoners they have a one man caged area in the back seat behind the front passenger seat. After the initial shock the cops on campus generally love the cars. And the fuel savings is really big.

Wayne

[PaleMelanesian]

Besides, Smith said, if the city insisted on a high-efficiency hybrid, it should have waited for a Ford Focus hybrid to come out later this year.

(emphasis mine)

He's surely an expert on the subject.

[Chuck]

When I RollerBladed in the park, I got new wheels and bearings and could go 10mph in complete stealth. I started to should "To your left" after a couple of people nearly had heart attacks from shock.

Just imagine what a Prius could do.

[southerncannuck]

Originally Posted by Delta Flyer

When I RollerBladed in the park, I got new wheels and bearings and could go 10mph in complete stealth. I started to should "To your left" after a couple of people nearly had heart attacks from shock.

Just imagine what a Prius could do.

Rollerblade the other way. That way they see you coming.

[GreenVTEC]

Seems like the perfect car for local cops in short all city routes.

Not ideal for state troopers or traffic enforcement.

[compudude86]

Originally Posted by FireEngineer

Northern Illinois University has an all hybrid police fleet to patrol the campus, mostly 2004-5 Prius and recently a few Ford Escape hybrids. For prisoners they have a one man caged area in the back seat behind the front passenger seat. After the initial shock the cops on campus generally love the cars. And the fuel savings is really big.

Wayne

Originally Posted by Delta Flyer

When I RollerBladed in the park, I got new wheels and bearings and could go 10mph in complete stealth. I started to should "To your left" after a couple of people nearly had heart attacks from shock.

Just imagine what a Prius could do.

yeah, I hang out up at NIU all the time, and most of the time ive seen the cops cruise on the electric engine, half the time you don't hear them, all of the sudden they are there! perfect for the sneak attack. they've got a few CNG trucks (I think ive only seen one so far though) and I've seen some red service cars, can't remember if they were fords or toyotas, they are new(er) but I believe they are also hybrids.