Dodge Charger to serve as new IUPD vehicle

Plans are in the works for IU Police Department to trade in eight of its ten Ford Crown Victorias for new six-cylinder Dodge Chargers.\nIUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said Ford will not be making Crown Victorias in a police package next year, so in collaboration with IU Motor Pool, IUPD chose the Dodge Charger as a replacement.\nThe new cars are expected to be more fuel efficient and have a higher resale value, which can save money. The vehicles can also run on cheaper E85 ethanol-blend fuel.\nE85 fuel was ideal for the department’s use, Minger said, but there is nowhere in Bloomington to fill up on it. However, the new vehicles are still expected to save money.\n“We did some analysis on cost. I think it’s a smaller car so it should be more fuel-efficient,” Motor Pool Manager Mike Hardesty said.\nThe vehicles will now be on a staggered three-year lease plan. Every year, some cars can be upgraded. When leases expire, the department chooses whether to keep the car at a low price, use it as an undercover car or send it back in exchange for a new vehicle, Minger said.\n“In the past, we financially couldn’t get into that type of staggered change, and we had to change all of our police package cars at once,” Minger said.\nMaintenance required for the vehicles is typically high due to the mileage they accumulate, Minger said. Police package vehicles are also equipped with heavy-duty electrical systems that often require repairs.\n“We might be in more of a stable position in the future to have a vehicle that was going to be stable in the future,” Minger said. \nThe appearance of the cars will stay similar: They will be white with the same markings.\n“We want them to be highly visible as a visual deterrent,” Minger said. “We want people to know that the police are \nout there.”\nThe leases are up for the Crown Victorias, but IUPD does not have the new cars yet. Minger said he wishes they had the cars now because the maintenance time of the older cars is causing the department to find replacement cars that are not as efficient.\nThe cars have arrived to the Motor Pool, Hardesty said, but there is a delay in getting vehicle titles and paperwork.