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Elmwood Park nabs new police cars
Elmwood Park Police Chief Frank Fagiano stands outside one of the department's new police cars. It's one of three vehicles purchased for the department to replace older cars in the fleet../Photo by David Pollard
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Updated: August 13, 2012 6:25AM
ELMWOOD PARK — The days of the Ford Crown Victoria being the car police patrol in are fading away.
Police are making way for a new model in Elmwood Park. The Elmwood Park Police Department recently purchased three 2013 Ford Tauruses and will soon replace the Crown Vics over time as needed.
Elmwood Park Police Chief Frank Fagiano said the new flex-fuel, all-wheel drive vehicles cost the village about $33,000 each, with the majority of emergency lighting already installed.
“(The car) lights up like a Christmas tree at night,” Fagiano said.
“Yeah, they light up the street big time,” said Elmwood police Sgt. Robert Klisz, when taking one of the new vehicles out on patrol.
One of the cars is being used by police supervisors like Klisz, another for undercover work, and the third car is in the process of being outfitted for use by patrol officers.
Fagiano hopes to replace his department’s fleet of 18 cars with at least two new cars each year until the fleet is totally replenished, which will save the village money in the long run.
“You replace the cars and the cost of maintenance goes down,” he said.
Plus, Fagiano said, no more Crown Victoria-sized cars are being made anymore and the Taurus is the next best thing.
“It’s new, fresh and clean,” he said. “It will take a little time to get use to it. It’s new.
“It’s a fresh start for everybody and we’ll slowly implement the new change.”
