Grant County Sheriff's Department Gets New Patrol Cars - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Grant County Sheriff's Department Press Release:

EPHRATA, Wash. – Citizens will soon see some new sheriff's patrol cars on Grant County roads.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office recently unveiled one of its new 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles which will soon hit the streets.

The new Chargers are painted gunmetal gray and sport new vinyl graphics. The Chargers are powered by a 370 horsepower, 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in just over six seconds. They have a top speed of over 140 miles per hour.

The most important feature the Chargers offer is additional safety equipment to protect deputies. The Charger scored the highest in ergonomics and driver comfort and functionality, and was a Top Safety Pick in 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Chargers also offer low maintenance costs and down time, meaning the cars will spend more time on patrol and less time in the repair shop. The Chargers are covered by a Dodge five year, 100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty.

"In the past we would replace patrol cars after three years, and we're going to replace the Chargers every four years," said Sheriff Tom Jones. "With the lower maintenance costs, powertrain warranty and adding one year to the fleet rotation, we will save valuable taxpayer dollars."

Ford Motor Company discontinued the venerable Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, which had been the backbone of the sheriff's patrol car fleet since 1992. As the existing Crown Victorias are retired at the end of their service lives, they will be replaced by Dodge Chargers.