California Highway Patrol officers have begun hitting the road in sleek black-and-white Chargers as the agency starts replacing their SUV-style patrol cars.
The Dodge Charger Pursuit is moving into the agency’s fleet as the older cars retire, namely the prevalent Ford Explorer and on occasion the iconic, and now rare, Crown Victoria.
Fran Clader, a CHP spokeswoman in Sacramento, said 588 Chargers have been purchased, with 122 on the road. They are being distributed across California when an existing car is inoperable or sometimes when one reaches 100,000 miles, if it isn’t running real well.
In all, the agency has 2,900 vehicles.
“I really like the look of the Charger,” said Officer Florentino Olivera, who is based at the CHP Santa Ana headquarters. “It just looks like a cop car.”
The Clear Lake Area office of CHP in Kelseyville is still waiting delivery of their first Charger. Like so many of his comrades across the state, officer Kory Reynolds is interested to check out the flashier new ride.
“Hopefully we’ll get them soon,” he said. “But we have to run ours out first.”
Officers in Lake County rely on the Ford SUV, which Reynolds praised for its durability and ease of access. The department still uses two of the veteran Ford sedans, as well.
Once, the Crown Victoria — referred to by real and movie cops as the “Crown Vic” — ruled the streets when it came to many police fleets, including the CHP. When Ford stopping making them in 2011, many agencies opted for other sedans.
In 2013, the CHP went with the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, based on the Ford Explorer SUV. It could carry the Highway Patrol’s large load of equipment and is all-wheel drive. Other police agencies have also chosen the vehicle.
But for some, the Crown Vic remained the perfect police vehicle.
“Nothing beats the Crown Vic,” Reynolds observed. “It was so dependable, handled like a dream.”
Reynolds operated a 1992 Crown Vic when he joined the force. He received a newer model during the sedan’s last stint with CHP, but was not as impressed with its throttle response. In between, he drove a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice, muscled up with a Corvette’s LT 1 engine.
“That was a fast car,” Reynolds recalled.
Unfortunately the Chevy went through two transmissions and three rear ends during its time in service. The Ford Explorer proved more reliable.
But when the CHP’s contract was up for renewal last year, the state decided to go back to a sedan. The California Department of General Services weighed performance, price and load capacity. The rear-wheel-drive Dodge Charger Pursuit met the CHP’s specifications, and was slightly less expensive and better on gas than the Ford.
The wait for Lake County’s CHP may not be long. Officers on patrol become attached to favorite cars, and these can rack up 10,000 miles every quarter. Others receive damage in the line of duty that affects performance. The new cars are being distributed as needed.
The CHP in Santa Ana just received a Charger, after a Ford Police Interceptor Utility was hit and totaled by a suspected drunk driver on the side of the freeway. After getting it outfitted with radio, computer and other systems, the Charger’s ready to hit the streets. The office in Santa Rosa operates two.
Reynolds did get a look at one of the new cars, but only briefly. An officer assigned to a department further north stopped by Kelseyville while returning from a training exercise. Reynolds did not have a chance to check out the interior.
He once drove one of the older body style Chargers used by law enforcement. “It wasn’t that comfortable,” he reported.
Noe Rodriguez, a CHP mechanic in Santa Ana, spends his days working on the brakes, tires and routine maintenance of the CHP’s cruisers.
“They all have their pros and cons,” he said of the various models. “The SUV’s got good room, it’s easy to get out of, handles easy.”
Taller officers appreciate the roominess they provide. Others say they have blind spots because they are larger.
Olivera jokes that the SUV-like vehicle looks like a “family car,” so her prefers the new, tougher-looking Charger.
Will the Chargers take over the fleet?
The CHP has a two-year contract for them, then will evaluate if it wants to keep rolling with that model. To the officers, they are more than cars.
“That’s their office,” Clader said.
Alma Fausto is a reporter with the Southern California News Group
