By Tim Sturrock
The Macon Telegraph, Ga.
MACON, Ga.— It’s been five years since Macon police received a new squad car, and this week they’ve broken that trend with style.
Monday and Tuesday, 10 new Dodge Chargers arrived fully equipped and could be on the road today. Thirty-four Crown Victorias begin arriving next week.
For a department with a majority of squad cars topping 150,000 miles on the odometer, the sleek Chargers are in demand among officers, Chief Mike Burns said.
“It’s been so long since we got new cars, I don’t know if it’s because they’re Chargers or because they’re new,” he said.
The six -cylinder vehicles aren’t as fast as the eight-cylinder Crown Victorias that make up the majority of the fleet, but Burns believes they’ll be fast enough for patrol in Macon. Unequipped, the cars cost about $20,300 compared with the $20,000 Ford Crown Victorias, though he said the cars may get better gas mileage and save money. He said police bought only 10 Chargers to test them out and see how they fare. If the cars perform well, the department could get more.
Getting new vehicles has been one of the chief’s goals since he was appointed in 2005, he said.
During the last few years as the department’s fleet has aged, the increasing cost of repairs have begun to outweigh the value of the cars themselves, Burns said.
Some officers have dealt with cars breaking down on duty, he said.
Last year, Macon City Council approved new vehicles and the department opted to try something different.
Other agencies statewide also have been using the Chargers. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office should have three on the road in the next two weeks, sheriff’s Chief Deputy David Davis said.
“It’s something new, and everyone wants to try something new,” Davis said, adding that the style of the car is appealing, too.
“They are some tough-looking cars and they look like they mean business,” he said.
Burns said the new police vehicles will not go to sergeants, lieutenants or captains but be issued to certain officers as a reward for their work.
“I want to reward the officers who are working day in and day out,” he said.
The new vehicles also have a new paint job to distinguish it from the older vehicles, he said.
Lt. Hank Ashley, standing near one of the cars, said he test drove it and got some compliments from Maconites.
“People were pointing at it, looking at it, saying ‘That car looks good,’ ” he said.
Capt. Wayne Avery remarked the new car is the nicest one he’s seen in the department.
“I would hate to be the first person to wreck one of these,” he said.
Copyright 2007 The Macon Telegraph