River Forest Police Unveil New More Fuel Effecient Cars

Residents of River Forest may have already noticed some new police cars cruising down their streets.

The two new models on duty are the 2013 Ford Taurus Police Patrol Vehicles. They're a bit of a step-up from your standard Taurus though. For example, the cars feature four-wheel drive to help officer's out in slippery condiditons.

Citing better fuel economy, a higher top speed and better acceleration over the department's old Ford Crown Victoria models, two new cruisers hit the streets the last week in September.

They're also a little smaller than the previous cars the department has worked with.

“All of the manufacturers of police vehicles are moving away from the large designs of the past in favor of smaller, more efficient designs. Over the longer term this may decrease costs and increase wear time for the vehicles; however that has also pushed us to re-assess how we configure the cars and use the space available to us,” said Sgt. Michael Thornley, the department’s support services supervisor in a statement.

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