Comments on: Why do the MSU police only drive SUVs?

By: Rivers K

Rivers K — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:30:59 +0000

I have a Police Interceptor Tahoe. I bought it used, it was a county sheriff’s vehicle. The interceptor and the civilian Tahoes differ quite a lot. The interceptor has lower, and stiffened suspension, heavy duty electrical, cooling, and drivetrain. A CVPI (Crown Victoria Police Interceptor) is a boat itself, weighs in close to the Chevy. But the Tahoe is an SUV. Personally, if I worked out of my vehicle all day. I’d be more fond of the Tahoe. The Chevy is no slouch, they aren’t far behind a CVPI. They both have a top speed around 130.

By: brian brinker

brian brinker — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:29:05 +0000

Chevy does not outfit the trucks for police use. the impala cost 24,000 plus being refit for police use. The tahoe will probably take another 5-10 grand to refit too. the line that says the tahoe will save money verse a crown vic is absurd

By: Tim Mapley

Tim Mapley — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:07:11 +0000

They keep them for roughly three years because, unlike most consumer cars, they can be driven almost 22 hours out of the day sometimes. Officers work 12 hour shifts and, depending on the number of officers on duty at any given time, the vehicles may not always get a break in between. The nature of the job requires them to be driven harder and longer than most cars. Driving a police car into the ground to save money is not an acceptable alternative because they have to be reliable and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Crime doesn’t usually wait for the next scheduled tune up.

Also, parking enforcement has pickup trucks because they are often asked to transport materials, bicycles, traffic cones, etc. that wouldn’t fit in a smaller vehicle.

By: ds

ds — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:25:17 +0000

What exactly are they stowing in those SUV’s that can’t be stowed in the (enormous) trunk of a Crown Vic? A Crown Vic is terrible in snow and not much better than an SUV on gas…maybe the PD should switch to an all-wheel drive domestic station wagon w/ a bit of pep.

Also, an inquiry into why our meter maids need Dodge trucks might be revealing. In Grand Rapids they cruise city streets in what appear to be upscale electric golf carts.

By: Jonathan Oosting

Jonathan Oosting — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:03:42 +0000

Fair criticism RDJ. We’re still trying to track down the hard data that will either validate or quell our skepticism — which is there. Our goal was to compare what the police said to actual budget data, but we weren’t able to come up with those figures in our one week window. Bummer, but I’m still working on it.

As for the three year lease, I’m not sure if that is a wide standard, but I know Meridian Township also keeps there vehicles for only three years. Meridian Chief Hall — and I’m sorry to use another police source here RDJ — said they are very cautious about the quality of vehicles they put out on the road because they have to be ready to respond in emergencies. At three years, he estimated the cars have 85,000 to 95,000 miles on them. If they do keep their vehicles longer than three years, they usually have them rebuilt — suspension, engine, transmission — at a significant cost.

According to Mike Rice, Transportation Services does sell the used Tahoes, but Transportation Services refused to discuss prices.

By: RDJ

RDJ — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:14:13 +0000

I’d like to know why they only use these vehicles for roughly 3 years. That seems like a very big waste of money. Most cars will last 10+ years if taken care of properly.
Also, while i applaud the creators of this website, i feel like there isn’t enough skepticism among the staff. In the 2 articles I have read, the word of police officers and msu officials is taken without second glance. Administrative types and police officers, in my mind, are some of the least trustworthy people on a college campus. please try to get a little more gritty and down to the hard facts next time. thank you.

By: Wes Holing

Wes Holing — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:34:48 +0000

I spoke with Brian Watts from Transportation Services again. He was able to provide me with clarification on how vehicles are ordered and how costs are affected.

By: Wes Holing

Wes Holing — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:30:57 +0000

I spoke with a rep from Transportation Services yesterday, who directed me to the Department of Public Safety. That department, in turn, directed me back to Transportation Services.

Take 2.

By: Jonathan Oosting

Jonathan Oosting — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:46:13 +0000

I talked to Dennis Antone today, facility superintendent for Meridian Township. He’s in charge of the township motor pool, and gave me some figures that I hope to compare to the MSU police.

Meridian uses mostly Crown Victorias. They cost the township around $24,000 initially, and up to $42,000 when completely outfitted for police work. Dealerships bid on the contracts, and Meridian selects the best offer.

They also have their own gas supply and do not pay state or federal gas taxes, saving a considerable amount at the pump. Antone said he paid $2.38 per gallon on the last order he made.