By Angela Rozas
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — It’s a long way from horse-drawn police wagons.
Before the snow melts this early spring, Chicago police should begin receiving new Chevrolet Tahoe sport-utility vehicles (right), part of Supt. Jody Weis’ plan to replace the entire fleet of Crown Victorias, the police car of choice for decades.
The SUVs have been a pet project of Weis’ since he took over almost a year ago. In November, the city signed a $59 million contract with suburban Advantage Chevrolet to provide as many as 2,000 Tahoes over the next three years, but given the city’s budget woes, it’s unclear how many will actually hit the street.
Each SUV costs $24,977, though options such as spotlights, police flashing lights and custom paint jobs could add thousands of dollars. The department also has the option to buy up to 60 hybrid SUVs with better mileage. Still, a study done by Michigan State Police show SUVs get about the same mileage as the old Crown Vics -- just 11 miles per gallon -- but accelerate, brake and corner like most police cars.
Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said Weis prefers SUVs: They’re more maneuverable and provide more room for police gear and portable computers, she said.
The vehicles also work better under “constraining weather conditions” -- such as snow -- and would give officers a better “vantage point” because of the vehicle’s height, she said.
If Chicago replaces its entire fleet with SUVs, it would be the first big city to do so, although some smaller towns, such as Plano, Texas, have done it. Those towns cite higher resale values and more room for police gear.
Chicago police started with wagons, modified by 1891 to include a covering to protect prisoners from being “exposed to the sight of the people on the streets, whether innocent or guilty,” according to newspaper accounts. Motorized vehicles were adopted in 1908, with the first radios installed in 1929. They brought “crime flashes” to cars broadcast by WGN. Later that year, 17 “Lincoln touring cars,” painted bright orange and installed with radios, gun racks for rifles, and pockets for “tear gas,” arrived and a parade through the Loop was planned.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Tribune