CRESTVIEW — To sit behind the wheel of the Crestview Police Department’s “newest” patrol cars is almost a blast from the past.
That’s because the bright, shiny Ford Crown Victorias now on city streets are actually refurbished 9-year-old vehicles.
“They’re basically rebuilt from the ground up,” Officer Nate Marlar, who drives one of the cars, said. “They stripped it all the way down.”
But at a cost of between $14,000 and $16,000, the “new” patrol cars are less than half the cost of a new police vehicle, which when equipped with communication equipment, light bars, security cages and related gear, begins around $35,000, Police Chief Tony Taylor said.
“We initially requested $18,000 per vehicle,” Taylor said. “They all came in under budget so far.”
Five patrol cars are back on Crestview’s streets while three more are awaiting refurbishment at Georgia Fleet, an Atlanta-area shop specializing in rebuilding public safety vehicles.
“I think (police administrators) made a good choice given how much money they’re saving the city,” Marlar said. “When you’re saving thousands of dollars, you can use that money for other stuff.”
“They’re getting the same thing they would get buying a new car. These things are effectively a brand new vehicle.”
Marlar said many officers prefer the Crown Victoria, which Ford no longer manufacturers, for its speed and ride.
“It’s got a V8 so it has some power behind it,” he said. “The weight keeps it more stable. The Crown Vic has a good center of gravity so it’s not going to roll.”
The eight “new” cars bring Crestview Police’s fleet to 32 vehicles, Taylor said.
“A lot of agencies ride around in SUVs, but I’ll take this any day,” Marlar said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Rebuilt police cars hit Crestview’s streets