Published: May 16, 2008 04:53 pm      

New patrol cars added to State Police fleet

Indiana State Police officials recently purchased 18 2008 Ford Mustangs, and what better way to break them in than by hitting the road course at O’Reilly Raceway Park?

ISP Sgt. Rich Myers said the department used Ford Mustangs in the 1980s for traffic patrol, but then switched to Chevrolet Camaros. When Chevrolet stopped making Camaros, he said the ISP began using their Crown Victoria patrol cars for enforcement details before deciding to switch back to Mustangs.

Myers said there will one Mustang in each ISP district.

“They will be a traffic enforcement tool, just like the motorcycles,” he said.

Several troopers gathered at O’Reilly Raceway Park earlier this week to test their driving skills and get a feel for the new Mustangs.

ISP Sgt. Shannon Kennedy said the troopers were first introduced to the cars during a one and a half day training session at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. There, she said, they practiced basic skills on both inside and outside tracks. She said they decided to go to ORP to get practice taking curves.

“(The Mustangs) handle differently than the Crown Vics,” she added.

Kennedy said ORP’s road course simulates the road conditions the troopers will be facing on a regular basis.

She said the Mustangs will rarely be used on interstates as they plan to focus on two-lane highways and other roads where fatalities seem to be more common.

Kennedy also said motorists will likely not notice the troopers since Mustangs are a popular car and these models are not marked.

“They don’t even have the antennas,” she added.



amanda.roach@flyergroup.com