Goodbye Crown Vics, Hello 'Police Interceptors'
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Police work has changed a lot over the years.
"That's a picture of the pistol team we had at that time,” said Chief Gordon Dibble of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol.
From the tools... to the talent.
"Back when I was a lot younger."
But in the past quarter-century, one thing in law enforcement has remained consistent: the Ford Crown Victoria.
"It's a combination of power, it's combination of space that you have, interior space,” said Dibble. “It has to be nimble, it has to be a good road car, and this has all of that."
From village police departments, to State Troopers, Crown Victoria has been the Cadillac of patrol cars since the late 1980s. But last year, Ford Motors discontinued its production.
Dibble is sad to see it go.
"I've been on the road, I've been working as a deputy sheriff since '75,” Dibble said. “People have become accustomed to the silhouette of the Crown Vic, and when they see it... it does catch your eye."
But if you too, are used to the look of the old Crown Vic, say hello to the cops' new battlewagon: the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor.
We visited a Ford dealership in Medina to take a look at the Interceptor's cousin, a consumer-grade Taurus.
Salesman Josh McKeehen took us for a test drive.
"The shifter won't be here. This is actually just gonna be an open area for the police to mount their technology for their office. The cabin space between the Crown Vic and the Police Interceptor is actually pretty much the same. I've never been in the back of a police car so I wouldn't know," said McKeehen with a laugh.
And in case you were wondering, McKeehan showed us the power behind the engine.
Genesee County will receive three new Interceptors sometime next week. Still, Dibble will always have a connection to the law enforcement industry's "Old Reliable."
"You know, our cars are our mobile offices. Certainly you don't want to see it go, it's been a great car for us, and we are looking at a couple different options, and we hope that they're going to be as good as these cars have been for us."