By Derrick Perkins
Union Leader
WINDHAM, N.H. — Police officers are having no problems getting around town despite a winter that has already seen slightly more than 84 inches of snowfall thanks in part to a brand new fleet of Chevrolet Impalas.
“For us they’ve worked out very well. They’re giving us the ability to access any area of town in inclement weather,” said Gerald Lewis, Windham’s chief of police. “The traction has been very good on some of the icy roadways and snow-covered roadways.”
The department made the switch from the traditional Ford Crown Victoria police cruiser to a newer six-cylinder model manufactured by Chevrolet early last year. The list of advantages for making the transition included the Impala’s front-wheel drive, which Lewis expected would give the department’s officers a leg up when it came to maintaining traction on slippery roads.
Now, at the tail end of winter, the department has not had one instance where a cruiser has been left stuck on the side of the road.
“On occasion things happen off the road or officers have to get to a location that’s not normally plowed,” Lewis said. “Periodically you would get a cruiser stuck and that’s where the front-wheel drive versus the rear-wheel drive comes into play.”
The decision to make the switch came as the department was considering moving away from the eight-cylinder, rear-wheel drive Ford Crown Victoria sedans to a smaller, more fuel-efficient police vehicle. While not as powerful, the six-cylinder fits the needs of the department perfectly, Lewis said.
“In a community like Windham where we don’t have the need for high speeds, the officers are able to answer the calls for service even in an emergency and be able to arrive at a scene with a six-cylinder, fuel-injected vehicle very quickly. There’s no compromise (when it comes to emergency response times),” he said. “There is no need to be driving 100 mph through any community.”
Concerns remain over how well the Impalas will hold up to the rigors of daily police work, according to Lewis. Officials are waiting to see how the increased stress on the front end wears on the Impalas over time.
In the short term, making the transition to a fleet of new vehicles has saved the department about $7,000 in maintenance costs. Whether that savings will hold up as the vehicles age -- the warranties expire next year -- remains to be seen, Lewis said. The department will make a final decision whether to stay with the Impalas or make the switch to another police cruiser model when the lease runs out after next year.
“At least for this year we’ve seen a reduction in costs. Even in the following year if our maintenance cost returns to what our older vehicles cost we’ve still saved money by not spending money during that first year,” Lewis said. “We’ll evaluate the condition of the vehicles, their performance over the three years, maintenance histories, and we’ll make a decision at that point along with the (selectmen) and the town as to what we do at that point.”
Copyright 2009 Union Leader