St. Charles Police Switch from Crown Vic to Chevy Tahoe for Patrol Cars

Several will soon be riding around in Chevy Tahoes rather than the traditional Crown Victoria, favored by police departments for ages.

The last Crown Victoria was manufactured in Sept. 2011, which has forced area law enforcement agencies to consider a replacement.

The St. Charles Police Department is planning to purchase seven Chevy Tahoes and three Ford Interceptors, a new car developed as a police vehicle.

The City Council introduced a bill to spend $184,261 on the 2013 Tahoes on Tuesday, which would replace current police vehicles with 100,000 miles or more.

Interim Police Chief Larry Stulce told the city council a group of police officers studied the options available to police agencies and reviewed five models, recommending the Interceptor and the Tahoe.

"The Chevy Tahoe was well received by the law enforcement community," he said.

Stulce said the reason the department would like to buy two different models is because the Tahoe is an SUV which some people may not be comfortable driving.

Some council members questioned the gas mileage of a sport utility vehicle, but Stulce said it's comparable to the Crown Victoria.

“We’re not buying high end SUVs, these are remarkably inexpensive, but they really aren’t any more than the Ford Interceptor is either,” Councilman Mike Klinghammer said.

Councilman Jerry Reese had strong opinions about color. "I think the black and white we have now make us look like Barney Fife," he said. "We've got those tiny hubcaps, I think it looks terrible."

Director of Administration Michael Spurgeon said the city has to think about resale potential of the vehicles when considering color.

"Not everybody wants a black and white used car," he said.