The Morgan Hill Police Department is adding two unmarked 2008
Dodge Chargers to its vehicle fleet, an officer said. The
department plans to use the cars for security purposes.
MORGAN HILL
The Morgan Hill Police Department is adding two unmarked 2008 Dodge Chargers to its vehicle fleet, an officer said.
The department plans to use the cars for security purposes. They are powered by V6 engines and not the more powerful Hemis, said Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing.
The Chargers will be outfitted with Motorola digital radios, which cost $3,321 each and bring the total cost of each car up to $33,254 apiece, according to a staff report. The City Council authorized the purchases of the cars at its Nov. 28 meeting.
The department’s decision to purchase the Chargers, instead of the commonly used Crown Victoria, is in line with a nationwide trend. Chrysler LLC debuted full-size Chargers in 2006 and they have been able to gain a small, but growing, foothold in a market that sells about 75,000 vehicles a year, the Associated Press reported last month. The news cooperative said national tests commend the Charger’s speed and handling, important factors to police departments across the country.
Swing said he didn’t know when the cars will be delivered. The department will purchase them from Coalinga Dodge for a total of $54,778, according to the report. The department will also buy one black-and-white patrol vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, for $42,860, a price that includes a Motorola radio and a Data 911 computer that costs $6,477.
The police department purchases cars from dealerships that are contracted by the state, Swing said. The department has more than 15 vehicles, include several motorcycles.
“There’s a bid process that’s opened to all government agencies and through that we select the vehicles,” he said.
