New vehicles with a flash of the past were rolled out Thursday afternoon at the Saanich Police Department.
The nod to the old days is in the colour scheme — dark blue with white, once the norm for the Saanich fleet.
Sporting the paint job are a Dodge Charger, a Ford Interceptor, a Ford Utility, a Chevy Tahoe and a Chevy van — machinery worth more than $150,000, including special features making them appropriate for the rigours of police use.
In time, all 70 of the department’s vehicles will be in line for the same blue-and-white look, a throwback to the early- to mid-1980s. The fleet’s dominant colour is now solid white.
Officers are looking forward to using the new units, said Saanich Police Chief Mike Chadwick. Their input will help decide what model to use when the cruisers are replaced. In the running are the Charger, the Interceptor and the Utility, which is based on the Ford Explorer.
The Ford Crown Victoria has been the basic model used in Saanich for some time, but it is no longer being made, Sgt. Steve Eassie said.
The procurement process for its successor will likely start in eight to nine months.
Police vehicles do more than just allow officers to get around, Chadwick said.
“Basically, these are their mobile offices. They take great pride in them.”
