Patrol vehicles, what do you get to drive?

[gonzo1510]

This means your patrol division needs to have employees with motorcycle endorsements....

True...that pretty much goes without saying..

I know of a small patrol company based 2 streets away from my house. They are using Yariz's due to size, running costs and ease for some people to driver (don't get me started there). With fuel still hovering around the $4.50 US a gallon, the need to save every dollar in patrol costs to remain competitive is something every patrol firm needs to remember and with the usually 200 - 300 miles a night (mileage is important).

I saw a company running around with the Toyota Prius all tricked out in the Downtown L.A. area.

Do you (your company) own Kawasaki already ?
If not yet, I know one shop who always have more than 20 Kawasaki KZ1000P ($2500 to $4000) and BMW R1100 & 1150RTP ($8000 up) from CHP and PDs.
Most of them are well maintained by PD and motor officers.

You talking about Hollywood Motors? Yeah, I plan on going through them or Burbank Kawasaki..

Do you know what kind of license/permit need to do Funeral escort? (In CA)
if you do, please let me know.
(it's off topic of this thread, so if you know any regulation for escort, please e-mail me)
I'm thinking about expand for armed escort.
But it won't do anything with traffic control.

For funeral escorts, there is no licensing requirement that I am aware of and most of the funeral guys I've spoken with are independent contractors...

For armed escort, then you need your PPO since you are providing a security service...

[N. A. Corbier]

Pick up trucks are used because they're "small" and therefore "fuel efficient."

[Limo LA]

Amber strobes in the front and Amber/Red in the rear..
I thought about LEDs but I think strobes do a better job of getting attention.

I think....
Amber strobe on side (lower Cowl, replace by taking reflector out) seems better.
Strobe on back might be too bright for any following vehicle. I go with LED on back.
If you need wiring diagram, I do have one.
Siren switch, Pursue switch (manufactured original) may tricky wiring.

Do you (your company) own Kawasaki already ?
If not yet, I know one shop who always have more than 20 Kawasaki KZ1000P ($2500 to $4000) and BMW R1100 & 1150RTP ($8000 up) from CHP and PDs.
Most of them are well maintained by PD and motor officers.

(I'm thinking of expanding into funeral escorts.)

Do you know what kind of license/permit need to do Funeral escort? (In CA)
if you do, please let me know.
(it's off topic of this thread, so if you know any regulation for escort, please e-mail me)
I'm thinking about expand for armed escort.
But it won't do anything with traffic control.
Executive protection service with multi car in LA area may lose primary in sight because LA's traffic.
if security follow primary's car with motor, security will never lose primary even heavy traffic.
(you can't fly over lanes or jump over car between primary and security, but Motorcycle can)

Even if I don't expand,I'm still going to get on a motor...Let's face it, generally speaking private security in Southern California doesn't hook ,book and transport bodies

I've seen a lot of pick up truck on gated residence and mall in LA, Beverly Hills, etc.
SUV maybe understand but I always wonder "Why pickup truck? are they transport something big ?".

I read one security patroling with Kawasaki in private community (Gated community) on Kawasaki 1000P website.

[NRM_Oz]

I know of a small patrol company based 2 streets away from my house. They are using Yariz's due to size, running costs and ease for some people to driver (don't get me started there). With fuel still hovering around the $4.50 US a gallon, the need to save every dollar in patrol costs to remain competitive is something every patrol firm needs to remember and with the usually 200 - 300 miles a night (mileage is important).

1 firm I know of had motorbikes as there patrol cars and alarm response units and due to the number of staff without motorbike licences have reduced their fleet to a few units. Our police motorbikes were custom fitted to each rider so that mean the bike was only of use for 8 hours a day under the old roster - now they are used for highway patrol and ceremonial escorts.

[N. A. Corbier]

This means your patrol division needs to have employees with motorcycle endorsements.

Everyone knows how to drive a CVPI, or a Kia, or whatever. Not everyone knows how to ride a motorcycle.

If you're thinking fuel economy, go buy a tiny car or a hybrid or something. The motorcycles for patrol is going to limit your ability to hire patrol personnel.

[gonzo1510]

I'm curious if anybody use motorcycle on duty.

I'm working on that at this time... I plan on using the Kawasaki Police bike outfitted with an Airhorn, Amber strobes in the front and Amber/Red in the rear..
I thought about LEDs but I think strobes do a better job of getting attention.
(I'm thinking of expanding into funeral escorts.)

Even if I don't expand,I'm still going to get on a motor...Let's face it, generally speaking private security in Southern California doesn't hook ,book and transport bodies. We call in the P.D. or Sheriff after we detain. It seems to me that a patrol officer can get to more locations on a bike in less time with less overhead costs than an officer in a tricked out Crown Vic or Chevy Impala sitting in So Cal traffic while gulping fuel at nearly $4.00 a gallon

Thoughts ?.......

[Limo LA]

I'm curious if anybody use motorcycle on duty.

[grenadier]

Patrol vehicles, what do you get to drive?

The Very best Duty Ride I ever had was a 1973 Buick LeSabre. Big, Comfey, Extremely fast Handled good (heavy /super duty every thing) next best was an 85 Full sized GMC Jimmy. 350 ,4spd, 4bbl. carb, would do a c note in 4wd.
inbetween were a bunch of Chrysler K cars, which sucked in everey concievable way.

[Charger]

I've driven police package Crown Vic's, Impala's and Chargers. The Charger handles like a dream, neither of the other two can hold a candle to it. The windows take a little getting used to but it isn't a difficult transition.

I'm still trying to convince our owner to get me a Charger... So far he isn't very open to the idea... 'course, I haven't shown him the mock-up of our decals on a pic of a Charger that I photoshopped the other day, either... I may just have to shoot it to him in an email... Heheheh

[Tennsix]

I've driven police package Crown Vic's, Impala's and Chargers. The Charger handles like a dream, neither of the other two can hold a candle to it. The windows take a little getting used to but it isn't a difficult transition.

[Miami-Dade]

Fleets of the future won't be driving Prius-es or Escapes. What they will be driving is CVPI, Impala, Expedition, and Tahoe Hybrids. Chevy is already coming out with Tahoe and Impala hybrids, to complement the FlexFuel models.

This is the first time I heard of the Impala coming out with a hybrid.I must have been sleeping under a rock.I wish Ford would come out with one for the Crown Vic as the Crown Vic can really take a beating.Miami-Dade has several 95-97 Crown Vics still on patrol.

We put over 300k miles on ours and we get them from the police department with over 100k miles to start off with.But it looks like Ford wants to kill the line in or about 2012 from what I hear from Ford so guess that a hybrid Crown Vic isn't going to happen anytime soon.Hopefully Ford will come out with another type of Interceptor before they kill the Crown Vic and hopefully it will be a hybrid.

The hybrid Impala would be a great seller for sure.I would consider that for my own personnel car as well.I drove a Charger not long ago and between the blind spots and tiny windows I like the Impala better.Between the Impala and Charger I would rather have the Impala with the F.W.D though the Crown Vic is my first choice.Most of Miami uses the Impala for supervisors cars but use the CVPI for patrol work.

[Echos13]

Come the 31st we loose all our rides. Foot patrol for all!

[Charlie Fox]

Our Patrol Division drives CVPI's that have outlived thier usefulness in the public sector. Normally ours have between 90-110,000 miles when we get them, and a list of repairs to be done. Front ends are ALWAYS bad. We're building the business case to Corporate to buy us some brand new fleet Impalas or Colorados (yeah, we're not holding our breath either )

[Alaska Security]

I patrol 250-300 miles a night when I am on patrol.

The truck is idling while I am stationary. For the entire 12 hours I am on duty, the truck is on.

I don't even nudge half-tank, and I fill the truck at the start of the shift.

Your mileage may vary, but Diesel's are more economical. Why's a VW jetta with a diesel get 50 MPG?

Why's a 6.6 liter diesel truck get 18 city and 20 highway when it's 6 liter counterpart gets maybe 16 highway, and its 14-10 mpg for it's 8.1 liter counterpart, both of which are gas?

600 miles to a 32 gallon tank is around 18.5 MPG. That makes sense considering the amount of idling that is done. I get 22 highway with my truck which is the same thing, just a shortbed instead of a longbed crewcab diesel. So I can account to these numbers.

Now, let's look at hybrids, shall we?

Hybrids use a battery. On average, at 0 celsius these batteries are at 75% of their normal capacity, and capability of charging. The lower you go the worse it gets. Hit -40 celsius and it's DEAD. That means that wonderful fuel economy you are expecting aint going to work.

I see VERY FEW hybrids up here. Every hybrid I see never has snow on it. Know what this tells me? In order for a hybrid to have a chance to function in any low temperature environment, it requires garaging. As security, you don't always have that option.

Not to mention the fact that just to keep the passenger compartment warm the engine is going to have to run all the time because it will either need it for coolant circulation, or to power up the frozen batteries because it's got an electric heater.

Throw in the service life of a hybrid on top of that versus the service life of one of our patrol trucks...

And for grins, I'd LOVE to see you follow me in my area of responsibility in a hybrid. Hope you have a shovel in that thing because you're going to be a digging fool

[HotelSecurity]

Umm, 250/300 miles a tank including idling nonstop in -40 weather

I don't see many hybrids functioning well in the "real" winter. In fact, they test them up here, and some of the guys have had to do public assists while on patrol when these guys got stranded while testing in the middle of nowhere with no arctic gear in a snowstorm...

For the size of the vehicle, the Chevys and GMC's we drive are the most economical anyway. 18/20 mpg according to my hand calculated from my POV, since they're large enough that they don't require EPA stats.

Our transit security in Montreal just started using these: www.policecanada.policecanada.org/Transit/STM008
and we get real winters here. (35cm of snow last night).