Vic PD unveils new police car; coat of arms
Victoria Police Department Chief Jamie Graham unveiled the force’s new police cruiser in a ceremony today at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour.
Also shown off for the first time was the department’s new coat-of-arms, which will be the new visual identity for the force and will be seen on police vehicles and officers’ uniforms.
The new black-and-white colour scheme is actually a throwback to popular earlier designs. Photo by Robert Randall © VibrantVictoria.ca.
The 2010 Dodge Charger is the first of six cruisers Vic PD will purchase this year. Over the next three years, all 21 police cars will be new Dodges. Chief Graham describes the Charger as the “most fiscally responsible” choice because of the car’s combination of reliability, efficiency and fuel economy.
The blank-and-white-painted Charger replaces the long-time workhorse of the department, the Ford Crown Victoria.
The interior features a more efficent computer set-up and a roomier interior. Back seat passengers may beg to differ. Photo by Robert Randall © VibrantVictoria.ca.
Vic PD Sergeant Darrell Fairburn was involved in the search for a new cruiser and according to him, the requirement for an eight cylinder, four door car left very few viable candidates.
Victoria Police Chief Jamie Graham gets ready to unveil the new cruiser. The redesigned coat-of-arms features a wolf crest by artist Butch Dick. Photo by Robert Randall © VibrantVictoria.ca.
The force felt the Chrysler product had the best combination of power, economy and comfort. The big V-8 engine provides reliable power when needed but Fairburn explains the new “smart engine” technology can shut down four cylinders for more efficient operation when cruising around town.
Other comforts include a roomier front seat and the ability to put the officers’ laptop computers in the trunk. Cops can then type reports more comfortably in the cabin with a swing-away keyboard and screen.
Meanwhile, Saanich Police have no plans to abandon the venerable Crown Victoria. The department recently put in an order for seven of the last Crown Victorias before the name is retired to be reborn in 2012 as a new Ford interceptor. However, the new CVs will actually be built on the Ford Taurus unibody platform, meaning Saanich will own some of the last body-on-frame police vehicles made.
Replacing the existing Vic PD crest with its toga-clad goddesses, the new crest features Neptune’s trident, representing the Island, and the dogwood flower surrounded by golden maple leaves. First Nations artist Butch Dick contributed the wolf design to the new crest. The wolf is known as the protector in the Coast Salish tradition. The coat-of-arms was created with the help of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa.
Click here for a discussion on police and crime issues on VibrantVictoria’s forum.
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Responses to this Headline or Article
The five most recent replies to VibrantVictoria.ca's discussion forum's The Victoria crime thread thread, the most relevant thread to the above headline or article:
VicHockeyFan
May 18, 2012 at 3:16 pmQuote: I would probably request an ambulance for the woman in your hypothetical scenario. I mean, one event is a medical emergency, the other is something that happens on a regular basis.
My difficulty is with placing it on their blog, complete with the street name where it happened. Is this good PR for the department to show us they go to frivolous calls? Would that space on their blog not be better used to show off more of their recovered stolen materials in order to find their owners etc.?
Bob Fugger
May 18, 2012 at 3:56 pmQuote: My difficulty is with placing it on their blog, complete with the street name where it happened. Is this good PR for the department to show us they go to frivolous calls? Would that space on their blog not be better used to show off more of their recovered stolen materials in order to find their owners etc.?
Yeah, no sh!t!! :cop:
sebberry
May 18, 2012 at 4:03 pmI'm not sure there's any benefit to the public knowing about some poor guy's bathroom troubles.
Mike K.
May 18, 2012 at 4:14 pm...aaaaand yet another slow news day in Victoria. Earlier in the week, jokes on Facebook. By Friday, vocalized discomfort. Next week they'll cover the nuisance of gravity and the link between killing spiders and precipitation.
Matt R.
May 18, 2012 at 9:19 pmI'm surprised they haven't caught on to the whopper that is "is there a housing bubble". That would keep them - and others - going for months. Years even.
Talk about a slow news day!
Matt.
