HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 06-17 Police cars: sirens, red lights, emergency radios and headaches THE REVIEW Police csirens , r . ..r,
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By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS "We're seeing a trend more and more ,
economy," he continues. Maplewood • •• ...
Staff Writer P
saves money by combining its order with ' ".
This is the time of year when Lt.Dennis those of other police and sheriff depart-
Cusick and Sgt. John McNulty say they ments within the county, he explains. 3
begin to have nightmares about police The real headaches begin when the cars :- °�,.! 4 . ,:
cars. arrive from the dealer and have to be y :
During the next several weeks,they will modified for police use. The police • r.0 i ° `
is removed each year from the }
coordinate the Maplewood police equipment Y ° ��'�
Department's annual juggling act when it old police cars and,if all goes well, it can iI k�o
replaces its fleet of six cars and two be installed in the new cars in four days, '• to ,; s ¢ r' `i•
sedans. Cusick explains. • ,��
And a juggling act it is. Cusick and First,the red lights and sirens must be $""7"°"" ° °a= A
mounted. The Maplewoodpolice lease # a
McNulty are required to keep the fleet ofP „N., „�,�� �,,�,gk ,�, ;
eight cars in operation at the same time their red lights and sirens from the ,
as the old cars are dismantled and sold, Emergency Vehicle Supply Co., 2384
and the new ones are ordered and English St.,and the actual installation is
prepared for police use. done by the company. The red lights � %
"The problem is that there is no such usually are attached to the rain gutters.
thing as a police car,"says Cusick.Every When the gutter design is slightly altered •
year, the department compiles a list of for the new car models, Cusick and THIS GLEAMING NEW police car does not come straight off the assembly line.The
desired specifications and seeks bidders McNulty and the supply company have to police department has spent at least four days shuffling it between shops in order to
who can meet its requirements' ranging get out their calculators to re-figure the adapt it to the array of special equipment it carries.
from suspension and brake quality to exact specifications of the job.
adequate interior space to stack the With red lights and sirens mounted, the screens between the seats is next. While added, a job done by the police them-
special radio and emergency equipment. cars proceed to the installation of the that job has its own peculiar quirks, it is selves.
Interior comfort also is very important, brackets which hold the emergency radio not as delicate as putting the kennel The cars cannot be used on the streets
said Cusick. After an officer has spent equipment. Every year, the curves and screens in the canine cars. Improper until each and every one of these tasks is
eight hours in a car, he or she can get humps within the cars seem to change installation of the kennels can lead to car- completed.And by the time all eight cars
-pretty fussy about having enough leg slightly,requiring that the brackets be re- sick dogs, notes Cusick with a slight have been through the process — who
room. fitted, laments Cusick. grimace. knows — the first newsletter from the
Ridgedale Ford in Minnetonka won the "When we drill the new holes for the Finally, the speedometers must be national association of police chiefs may
bid this year. The six sedans cost about brackets we don't want to run into the legally certified as accurate, and the have arrived, enthusiastically ex-
$9,000 each,while the wagons cost$10,000 transmission," he notes. special lettering and decals of the Pounding on all the wonderful advantages
each, says Cusick. The installation of the protective Maplewood Police Department must be of next year's cars.