This is in regard to the Jan. 29 letter, “Require state cars to be fuel efficient.”
No. 1 is the fact that police cars carry a lot of equipment. This is normally carried in the trunk. A small car has no room for it. It is also heavy, so any kind of fuel economy would be offset by the weight. It also has a “full size” spare tire — not a puny little “only go 50 miles” spare.
Next, it needs room for transporting people under arrest. This requires a “cage” in the back seat. Some people are 6-feet tall and can’t fit in the back seat of a Chevette.
A third problem is that the police are often challenged for eluding and evasion by wanted people engaged in crimes. If they spot a Crown Victoria or a Dodge Magnum, they will not attempt to outrun them. A Crown Vic is a force to be reckoned with and its mere presence is intimidating. The “interceptor” engine in a cruiser gives it the power to move and carry the equipment police need for fighting crime! This cannot be compromised!
JOE CARBAJAL
Marysville
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