MILL CREEK — Mill Creek police cars are looking snazzier.
The department recently upgraded the graphics on all of its patrol cars. The new look started on a few cars in 2009, and the fleet became all matching earlier this year.
The new cars, one Chevy Tahoe and four Ford Crown Victori
as, replaced 2007 models earlier this year. Many of the older cars had been in rotation 24 hours a day and had more than 100,000 miles, Mill Creek police detective Kyle Hughes said.
The new rigs have LED lights instead of older lighting systems and a new color scheme. They’re safer and more energy-efficient, he said.
Altogether, the new cars cost $174,616.89. The police fleet includes 14 vehicles total, but not all of those are marked patrol cars. Many of the patrol cars are used by two or three officers a day.
The old design was green and black and could be confused with other agencies, Hughes said. Now, the cars are decked out in a blue and white gradient paint job, with black highlights and an image of a Mill Creek police badge. They wanted the cars to be identifiable as Mill Creek police cars from a distance.
“They’re uniquely Mill Creek now,” he said.
He also said the new cars were built under budget and on schedule. He runs fleet management for the department along with another officer. They try to organize use of the cars to minimize wear and tear and keep mileage even.
Hughes usually drives a detective car, but he couldn’t wait to take one of the cars for a spin, he said.
“We are proud of the new vehicles and hope that the public is, too,” he said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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