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Friday, May 4, 2007

SPD Using Gay Porn to Promote New Traffic Team

posted by on May 4 at 14:24 PM

Ok, they’re not really but look at this poster. O.M.G.

IMG_2284_1.jpg

I went down to SPD’s car show for their Aggressive Driver Response Team to have a look-see at their new fleet of Dodge Chargers. Here’s what they look like:

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Er…

DSCN1952.JPG

The entire Aggressive Driver Response Team was in attendance - which is good, since I drove as fast as I could and flipped off a number of people on my way to and from the event - and Chief Kerlikowske gave some facts and figures about aggressive driving in Seattle. Kerlikowske also gave me a shout out for my Slog post yesterday. Awesome.

Kerlikowske cited a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figure that “one third of all accidents are caused by alcohol or aggressive driving” and according to SPD spokeswoman Debra Brown, there were 28 fatal collisions in 2006 which SPD determined were caused by impaired or aggressive drivers. When asked why the SPD needs souped-up super cars to catch speeders when they have a “restricted pursuit policy,” Kerlikowske said that the new cars would help officers “catch up quickly’ and avoid a prolonged pursuit. Apparently, “slow and steady wins the race” is good enough for the rest of the fleet.

SPD will purchase 8 new Dodge Chargers to replace the Ford Crown Victorias that were being retired. Nancy Bean, the Fleets Supervisor said that the new cars cost $30,852 a piece, after they’re upgraded. According to figures from 2001, SPD paid $27,633 for their Crown Victorias. The base salary for an officer at SPD is $47,334

RSS icon Comments

1

Dumb question, but does a big, scary-looking Dodge Charger actually go any faster than the cop-standard Crown Vic? And if it's really just about speed, why not go for something a little sportier?

Posted by Levislade | May 4, 2007 2:35 PM
2

Does anyone else find it amusing that SPD has chosen a car with very aggressive image to counter aggressive driving?

Posted by icirony | May 4, 2007 2:41 PM
3

Those transformer pics are priceless, Jonah. Have you ever considered that you might just be too damn funny for news reporting?

Posted by Eric Grandy | May 4, 2007 2:48 PM
4

Sorry to ruin things, but the Transformer (Brawl, from the upcoming motion picture!) isn't a Charger but a Saleen Mustang police car. Also, he humorously has "To punish and enslave" as a motto over his shield. Just an FYI.

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | May 4, 2007 3:12 PM
5

Lovely report! Awesomely imprecise statistic, 1/3 of accidents are caused by alcohol... or maybe driving aggressively. 28 fatal collisions last year from driving drunk... or maybe aggressively. Mr. Chief is on top of the situation.

Posted by tomasyalba | May 4, 2007 3:13 PM
6

Man, "to punish and enslave" would look great on those new cars. SPD, are you listening?

Posted by Eric Grandy | May 4, 2007 3:22 PM
7

This just looks like an attempt to increase "Speed Tax" receipts to me...

Posted by High-Rise | May 4, 2007 3:24 PM
8

@ Eric:

Isn't "To Punish and Enslave" that new night you spin at the Eagle?

Woka Woka Woka!

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | May 4, 2007 3:51 PM
9

Did any intrepid reporters ask Kerlikowske why the SPD chose this "shock and awe" strategy over the WSP's (very successful) stealth strategy to catch aggressive drivers?

Any police research to back up this odd choice? Anybody ask the chief if he was thinking with his dick?

Posted by elenchos | May 4, 2007 4:32 PM
10

@1: The Charger is very much faster than the Vic.

From Wikipedia on the police Charger:


"The 340 hp Hemi V8 is powerful enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and to a top speed of 150 mph"


By comparison the Crown Vic has top speed of 120-130 mph and 250 HP. Couldn't find GVWs handily, but I bet the Charger is a good 500-1000 lbs lighter as well.

Posted by laterite | May 4, 2007 5:39 PM
11

All your questions are answered at the MI State Patrol site, which tests police package cars. The Charger is a big winner performance wise, not surprising since the Panther platform the Crown Vic rides on hasn't seen any major change in decades.

Posted by Some Jerk | May 4, 2007 9:39 PM
12

One more campaign that will expand citations for DWB.

Posted by mirror | May 4, 2007 10:16 PM
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