Dodge is back on the police beat
Magnum, Charger police cruisers to be built here starting in the fall
SABRINA DIVELL, Staff Writer

Come this fall, state-of-the-art police cars will be rolling off the lines at DaimlerChrysler's Brampton Assembly Plant.

After a 12-year hiatus from manufacturing patrol cars, and following a very short-lived return two years ago, the automaker will be vying for another spot in the market against Ford's Crown Victoria Interceptors.

The new 2006 Dodge Charger police cruiser is a four-door sedan with rear-wheel drive and available HEMI power.

Describing it as a very "strong and powerful looking vehicle", Stuart Schorr, director of communications for DaimlerChrysler Canada, said the Charger will join the company's previously announced Dodge Magnum police cars this fall for sale across Canada and the United States.

It was welcomed news for the Brampton Assembly Plant, which recently added a third shift and 900 new jobs this year to help with production of the highly successful 300 series, Dodge Magnum and the arrival of the new Dodge Charger.

"We have the flexibility in our manufacturing facility in Brampton to produce numerous versions of vehicles (including standard production models, limited edition high performance models and the police package) as well as three different vehicles in the same plant," said Schorr.

"It's a strength of the overall product that led us to believe there would be a strong marketplace and demand from police for the product."

He wouldn't say what kind of production numbers the company is anticipating for the police cars, calling it "a niche market."

The police package offers several features including a number of fuel saving choices.

Police departments can opt for a V6 or a Hemi V8, which uses a Multiple Displacement System technology that allows the engine to cruise at normal speeds using four cylinders to conserve gas.

"When the driver requires power (like in pursuit situations), all eight cylinders will come on and it's not noticeable to the driver except at the gas pump where they will save about 20 per cent," said Schorr.

This feature could be a huge benefit for Peel Regional Police as it works towards increasing fuel efficiency in its fleet of vehicles.

During the police's 2005 budget presentation last November, Acting Police Chief Mike Metcalf told regional council Peel's eight cylinder patrol cars are slowly being replaced with six cylinder vehicles to save money.

By making the switch, police expect to save $985,000 by increasing fuel efficiency from 14.12 miles per gallon to 18.39 miles per gallon.

Another feature DaimlerChrysler vehicles have that will appeal to police and the general public, said Schorr, is the new ESP (electronic stability program) technology that helps maintain direction control over the vehicle if it starts to skid or slide.

"All four brakes work individually to help maintain control of the car and keep it going where it's being steered."

The former Chrysler Corporation dominated police car manufacturing from the '60s to the early'80s with a wide range of models.

In 2002, the Dodge Intrepid cruiser was launched at the Brampton Assembly Plant, but the vehicle's production was phased out a year later.