Chargers: The New Face Of Police Cruisers After The Crown Victoria

Police departments across the country used the venerable Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for two decades from 1991 to 2011. CVPI, P71, or ‘”Crown Vic” was the most widely used automobile in law enforcement operations in the United States and Canada.

When Ford stopped making the police model, law enforcement agencies scrambled for a replacement to restore their aging fleet vehicles.

The Crown Vic was selected for police use primarily because of the conventional rear-wheel drive, V8 power under the hood and body-on-frame construction, which are all advantageous for police use.

The body-on-frame construction allowed inexpensive repairs after collisions without the need to straighten the chassis. Rear-wheel drive made the car easier to avoid spin-outs during hard maneuvers than front drive rivals and allowed it to better withstand rough driving over curbs and other obstacles in the urban environment.

Filling the hole left by the Crown Vic’s demise was a much lighter, smaller and more powerful cruiser – The Dodge Charger.

The Charger cruiser has become a popular choice for many municipal police departments. Unlike the big, heavy Crown Victorias, the newer Chargers reach 60-miles per hour about two-seconds quicker than the older cruisers. Taking advantage of the lighter weight, the Chargers also get about four more miles to the gallon of gasoline, which helps any budget.

A recent article on www.cleveland.com confirmed that the number of local agencies using the new Chargers is much higher than the number or agencies using the older police interceptor.