Originally Posted By: dparm
Push bumpers add cost to an already expensive vehicle. These new police vehicles are not getting cheaper, nor are departments funding themselves flush with cash. A new Police Interceptor SUV (Explorer) is nearly $50,000. I suspect it's a cost-saving move.
For example, Chicago PD just announced they are buying 500 of those new Explorer-based vehicles at $47,000 each. If a push bumper adds, say, $2,000 to the cost of each vehicle, that's another million dollars on top of the already huge $23.5M price tag for those cars. Chicago is not exactly sitting on a huge cash surplus.
I can't even remember the last time I saw one on a Chicago PD vehicle. We still have tons of Crown Vics running around and they don't have the push bars, nor do the newer Explorers, Suburbans, or Tauruses. I occasionally see them on Illinois State Police vehicles, but their duties probably involve some different things than a cop in downtown Chicago would see.
Per-car costs of new Ford sedans and SUVs in my city ... right from the city's Police Budget documents " ... once fully equipped for police work, the Taurus will cost $C 75,000 [$US 60,300] with the Explorer costing $C 82,000 [$US 66,000]. ..." And no, they don't come with push bars.
That does not include the Automated Licence Plate Readers installed, as of now, in 51 patrol cars, at a cost of $C 25,000 each [$US 20,100], although the costs to purchase and install those are covered by the Provincial Motor License Issuer. About 40 cars a year will be upgraded until all patrol vehicles are so equipped.
I don't know how many patrol cars they have, but the city police service has 460 members, so I'm guessing the ALPR program should be complete in 3~4 years.
Push bumpers add cost to an already expensive vehicle. These new police vehicles are not getting cheaper, nor are departments funding themselves flush with cash. A new Police Interceptor SUV (Explorer) is nearly $50,000. I suspect it's a cost-saving move.
For example, Chicago PD just announced they are buying 500 of those new Explorer-based vehicles at $47,000 each. If a push bumper adds, say, $2,000 to the cost of each vehicle, that's another million dollars on top of the already huge $23.5M price tag for those cars. Chicago is not exactly sitting on a huge cash surplus.
I can't even remember the last time I saw one on a Chicago PD vehicle. We still have tons of Crown Vics running around and they don't have the push bars, nor do the newer Explorers, Suburbans, or Tauruses. I occasionally see them on Illinois State Police vehicles, but their duties probably involve some different things than a cop in downtown Chicago would see.
Per-car costs of new Ford sedans and SUVs in my city ... right from the city's Police Budget documents " ... once fully equipped for police work, the Taurus will cost $C 75,000 [$US 60,300] with the Explorer costing $C 82,000 [$US 66,000]. ..." And no, they don't come with push bars.
That does not include the Automated Licence Plate Readers installed, as of now, in 51 patrol cars, at a cost of $C 25,000 each [$US 20,100], although the costs to purchase and install those are covered by the Provincial Motor License Issuer. About 40 cars a year will be upgraded until all patrol vehicles are so equipped.
I don't know how many patrol cars they have, but the city police service has 460 members, so I'm guessing the ALPR program should be complete in 3~4 years.
