The Daily News is reporting that the CHP has purchased 88 Dodge Chargers for use on the highways:
- Nine will be white with a CHP logo on the front doors and will be used at the academy for training and evaluation.
- Nine with a snappier logo will be distributed to the eight divisions across the state and at the Sacramento headquarters, and will be driven by public affairs officers and used as a recruiting tool.
- The remainder will be used undercover, with regular factory colors and no CHP logos.
Seventy-nine of the cars will have a more fuel efficient V-6 power plant but they are still pursuit-rated vehicles. The nine at the academy will have the bigger 340 horsepower, 5.7 liter V-8 Hemi engine.
The article has additional tidbits, such as the fact that in 1996, the agency put the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor in service as its general purpose patrol vehicle. And in 1994 and 1995, the agency used the Chevrolet Caprice. Of course, we all know that in 2006, the CHP placed an order for Porsche Boxsters. The requirements are simple:
- It must be rear-wheel drive and a certified police vehicle.
- The agency’s radio has to work in it, the weapons have to fit inside the cockpit and there has to be adequate trunk space.
- There must be room to haul around a prisoner.
Of course, there’s never a cruiser around when the fool in front of you makes an unsafe lane change 🙂
