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Posted by: DeputyFife

Published: 09/22/2007
North Shore police making the switch to '60s muscle cars
By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Staff writer



They look like they're from the future, but they're actually a blast from the past.

The newest line of police cruisers arriving at police stations across the North Shore are not Ford Crown Victorias, but Dodge Chargers - the muscle cars of the 1960s and '70s.
"The guys love them," said Salem police Capt. Brian Gilligan. "They like the way they handle, they like the way they look, they're very roomy inside. ... But what I'm concerned about is how they hold up over the long term."
The "long term" remains to be seen, since Chrysler unveiled the new Dodge Charger in 2005, three decades after it had stopped making them.
Salem recently leased eight Chargers for police cruisers and unmarked police vehicles. Middleton, Beverly, Wenham and Peabody are also using Chargers.
Middleton Chief James DiGianvittorio bought two Chargers with V-8 HEMI engines for his department.
One is a marked black-and-white patrol supervisor's car, and the other is his chief's car.
His is a sleek black model dubbed "The Bat Mobile" by some in his department because of its low-profile, its growling front grill and hidden lights. "When you see them coming down the road with the lights on, they are impressive," DiGianvittorio said.
The Charger joined the selection of police vehicles with the 2006 model. With its new HEMI engine, it can produce 340 horsepower. By comparison, a typical Honda sedan has less than half the horsepower.
The HEMI engine is a specially designed engine by Chrysler, the parent company of Dodge, that was popularized during the 1960s and '70s.
The engines were gas guzzlers, but Dodge said the fuel efficiency has been improved in the Chargers' engines by up to 20 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy guide said the new Chargers get 15 miles per gallon with city driving.
DiGianvittorio said the move to the Chargers was not only about looks, though some people have stopped by the station along Route 114 to get a closer look at them.
Rather, the chief had heard Ford Motor Co. was thinking about discontinuing its police package, something that turned out not to be the case.
Nonetheless, "Change is good," DiGianvittorio said.
The cars are a hit not only with police departments, but at the local Dodge dealership.
Josh DiPietro, sales manager at Herb Chambers Dodge in Danvers, said the Chargers are a top seller.

"It's a pretty aggressive design," DiPietro said. "They sell very well."
The sticker price for a Charger starts at $22,000 and can run up to $45,000 with a variety of options.
"The biggest challenge is going to be over the winter to see how it handles in the snow," DiGianvittorio said. A button in the car is supposed to help with traction, he said.
Peabody had one of the first Dodge Chargers on the North Shore when the department asked to test drive the latest Dodge vehicle a year ago.
"It's a new product. Dodge has not traditionally made police cars ... but they seem to have a pretty good product," Peabody police Chief Robert Champagne said.
The Chargers' next appearance was in Beverly, which bought three at $27,000 apiece to replace Ford Crown Victorias. One had been totaled in a fatal crash on Jan. 20, and two others were taken off the road for safety reasons. Police had reported a series of incidents in which the Crown Vics suddenly accelerated without the driver stepping on the gas pedal.
Ford Motor Co. has insisted the problems were caused by the driver mistakenly stepping on the gas and brake pedal at the same time.

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Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeputyFife Published: Middleton Chief James DiGianvittorio bought two Chargers with V-8 HEMI engines for his department. One is a marked black-and-white patrol supervisor's car, and the other is his chief's car.

What a great message to send to the patrol officers on the street.

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Posted by: Hutch

I can't say I've seen any officers in a Charger but I've seen a few driving the ugly Dodge Magnum. I believe the N.Andover PD has 2 of the Magnum's for their K9 units.

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Posted by: Sniper

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784 What a great message to send to the patrol officers on the street.

beat me to the punch...........

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Posted by: JLT770

magnums are hideous, they remind me of the car in that ambigously gay duo skit on SNL...yes the one shaped like a penis

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Posted by: frank

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784 What a great message to send to the patrol officers on the street.

Not only that, but does the Chief really need the extra cost and higher fuel consumption of the Hemi in his unmarked car that he uses to commute? I can understand the street supervisor having it...

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Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank Not only that, but does the Chief really need the extra cost and higher fuel consumption of the Hemi in his unmarked car that he uses to commute? I can understand the street supervisor having it...

Probably 90%+ of my vehicle pursuits (where a Hemi would be useful) have come from (attempted) traffic stops. The job of a supervisor is to supervise, not conduct traffic enforcement.

As for the chief, that's just a shameless attempt to soothe a mid-life crisis at the town's expense.

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Posted by: frank

I agree Bruce, but the way I look at it - the chances of a supervisor being out on patrol in a marked unit and joining in on a pursuit in progress (or making a traffic stop) are much greater than a Chief doing so in an unmarked car.

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Posted by: Inspector

I can report that the Dodge that shifts down to 4 cyl mode from 8 as currently used by NHSP actually gets better miles per gal. than the CV. Only problem noted up here thus far is that trunk space combined with equipment carried causes us to ditch the spare tire and the front passenger seat, with computer etc. leaves little room a second person.

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Posted by: sf3pox1

We have seen the MSP chargers down the Cape here a few times, but since the MSP getting them, Barnstable PD has gotten two marked units, and Mashpee now has one, out and about. They are turning heads down on the Cape.

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