Moses Lake to change cop cars

MOSES LAKE - Police officers in Moses Lake will soon be getting new rides.

After 25 years, Police Chief Dean Mitchell said the department is changing vehicles, colors and emblems.

The switch is, in part, because Ford decided earlier this year to discontinue its Crown Victoria line, which has become the de facto standard of police vehicles over the past few decades.

Mitchell said that the new cars were ordered earlier this year after looking at three different options for new vehicles.

Between a Chevrolet Caprice, Dodge Charger, and a modified Ford Taurus, the department went with the Caprice model.

Because the cars are made in Australia, it took several months for them to arrive stateside.

"Before we even get them, they've been halfway around the world. Literally," he said.

Plus, the department needed to re-fit most of the gadgets for the new model, creating a longer delay for the vehicles.

"Every year it seems that more and more equipment gets stuffed inside of these cars," the chief said. "Years ago you had a radio, a shotgun and controls to your light bar. And that was it."

Clearly, that's no longer the case.

Nowadays police cars carry $20,000 worth of equipment, including a computer, printer, radar, and video recorders, among other things.

And since the Crown Victoria had been the standard police vehicle, the companies that produced police equipment had manufactured items to fit specifically for the Ford model.

City crews had a challenging time trying to configure items for the Caprice, which has a smaller build than the Crown Victoria.

The Moses Lake Police Department replaced seven cars of its 12-vehicle fleet with the Chevrolet model, and expect to start rolling them out by the end of the month.

The Caprices will be silver with new decals and the department's values "Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, Service" will be prominently printed on each rear bumper.

"We want the public to know what our core values are," Mitchell said.

The new cars should stand out, as vehicles from Grant County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol are both white, Mitchell said.

The cars, purchased locally from Bud Clary Automotive Dealerships, cost the city $33,000 each. The sticker includes equipment modifications to fit the new vehicles.

Mitchell said that each car was budgeted for, and should last for three to four years.

Most of the cars are driven 24 hours a day, which can take a toll on them.

"But change is good," Mitchell said. "We're ready for a change."