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Prius Police Car!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by VinceDee, Dec 9, 2006.

  1. VinceDee

    VinceDee Member

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    Leave it up to Berkeley to have a Prius police car. I saw this on my way home last night and just had to stop and ask the officer to let me take a picture. You can see that it's a brand new unit by the fact that it doesn't even have it's plates yet (They bought it from the same place that we bought ours: Toyota101 in Burlingame).

    Now all they need is to make a Prius Interceptor pursuit unit :D

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Michgal007

    Michgal007 Senior Member

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    That is so COOL! :lol:
     
  3. VinceDee

    VinceDee Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gaddamnit @ Dec 9 2006, 12:28 PM) [snapback]359816[/snapback]</div>
    Obviously that Prius is a "Crime Scene Investigations" unit, not a pursuit or patrol car, so the way they're using it is just fine with me.

    Vince
     
  4. tleonhar

    tleonhar Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gaddamnit @ Dec 9 2006, 02:28 PM) [snapback]359816[/snapback]</div>
    Looks like we have a troll here. Can't afford the gas for his Hummer, so he has to come and troll.
     
  5. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    I've driven in Berkeley. They are the WORST drivers in the country (and I regularly drive in Boston, and have ridden in Miami when I say that). The rest of the Bay Area are actually some of the best drivers I've seen, but hit the Berkeley border...

    You could easily use this as a pursuit car. Just turn on the red and blue lights and the guy you're chasing will stop right there and think, "Oh, wow, man! Groovy lights!"
     
  6. Prius313

    Prius313 Member

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    Just an FYI, NYC has many Prii, both Classic and newer ones that it uses for a number of city departments. They can be seen frequently, if you are looking for them.

    There are also many hybrid buses.
     
  7. creamer

    creamer New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Dec 9 2006, 02:32 PM) [snapback]359817[/snapback]</div>
    And if there was a Prius patrol car, can you imagine the fuel economy penalty from the strobe light bar atop the cruiser? (Especially at high speed?)

    Okay, so the Prius isn't the best choice for high-speed pursuits. But, in stealth mode, we could probably follow that troll on his sister's bicycle without him hearing us. And we've got better range, too, unless he's in shape for a 500-mile pedal...
     
  8. VinceDee

    VinceDee Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 9 2006, 12:45 PM) [snapback]359823[/snapback]</div>
    You've only driven in Boston, Miami, and the Bay Area, yet you managed to extrapolate that Berkeley drivers are the worst in the entire country?

    Of all the places I've been (and that really does include a sizable chunk of the country, and Canada and Europe) the worst drivers I've experienced are in Arizona. But you notice I didn't say that makes them the worst in the country...that would just be asinine. :)

    Vince
     
  9. daveleeprius

    daveleeprius Heh heh heh you think so?

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    Seattle also has first and second gen Prii in their motor pool, and you can see them (they are all white) driving around the city daily, not to mention scads of people driving Prii in the city as well. We saw quite a few down in Portland today as well.

    Dave
     
  10. TJandGENESIS

    TJandGENESIS Are We Having Fun Yet?

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  11. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Dec 10 2006, 08:14 PM) [snapback]360170[/snapback]</div>
    Oh, I've driven in lots of other places; I just picked the two that are notorious for having the worst drivers. You can add New York City to that, too - Berkeley drivers are worse than NYC drivers. I left Italy out of there, because they make even Berkeley drivers look like paragons of sanity.

    I've never driven in Arizona, though. But if they regularly make U-turns in the middle of the street on a one-way street (something I've seen more than once in Bezerkly), then I don't think I want to drive there!
     
  12. dmckinstry

    dmckinstry New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 10 2006, 08:01 PM) [snapback]360241[/snapback]</div>
    Don't leave Italy out. I made the mistake of driving there once. How often on a two way street (one lane each direction) do you get passed on the right and left at the same time, while you're slowing down to make a left turn?

    Dave M.
     
  13. CH

    CH New Member

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    Here's a Prius from the Dutch police academy. It's in the official police colors but is only used for demo purposes...
     

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  14. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    Kind of off topic, but think of all the law enforcement, fire departments, city, country, state, federal organizations. They often buy domestic vehicles. Now tell me Detroit can't make money selling hybrids to this market.
     
  15. cairo94507

    cairo94507 Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CH @ Dec 19 2006, 07:21 AM) [snapback]364087[/snapback]</div>
    Very cool Dutch police car. Believe me I was a cop for 25 years and we drove some real POS cars back in the early 80's- these cars were so bad, (Dodge and Chrysler) that they could barely get up to the speed limit and would top out at around 85 MPH. Thank goodness for the Chevrolet Malibu and the Nova - those were quick and handled very well. Then along came the Caprice and the Ford Crown Victorias (my favorite) and now crooks can't get away unless they are driving something substantial -and even then the crooks generally crash becasue they can't drive.

    The Prius does have a place in police work - crime scene unit, court runs, school/training cars, maybe even personnel & training assignments.
     
  16. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    Does every police car have to be a pursuit vehicle? If not, why not a Prius.

    The Prius is great for city departments. And if it's a lease, when they sell it it would be a much better buy at the auction.

    I saw one down at the County Tax Assessor's office. I don't remember which department but I think it was water.
     
  17. Tadashi

    Tadashi Member

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    hehehe The reason Prius would not make good pursuit car...
    Patrol officer telling the Desk SGT "I had to let the perp get away because speeding would kill my MPG." :lol
     
  18. YoDaddyAlex

    YoDaddyAlex Member

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    big cities dont need their police cars to all be pursuit, they have these things called helecopters

    beverly hills has meter maids with a prius
     
  19. skruse

    skruse Senior Member

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    The Fresno County Sheriff's Department has Prii, complete with horizontal green stripe and other accouterments.
     
  20. koa

    koa Active Member

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    I thought many of the pursuits I see on TV end when the car the police are chasing runs out of gas. Maybe the perp should be the one considering the Prius.
     
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