Just in time for the first major Lake Effect snow storm of the season - the Buffalo Police Department has rolled out new all-wheel drive cars.
The first batch of new police cars were lined up for inspection Wednesday outside the future home of the Buffalo Police and Fire Headquarters at the Michael J. Dillon U.S. Courthouse. Inside, Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said, the department looked at all of its options before purchasing 61 new sedans.
"The Dodge Chargers will come in handy with the snow. They're all four wheel drive vehicles. So that should help in the winter driving for our officers," Derenda said.
Mayor Byron Brown says the city began replacing the Police Department's aging fleet in 2014 with the addition of about 50 rear wheel drive SUVs. Brown says having a mix of vehicles is important.
"The sedans help us to provide different vehicles for different situations. Also, as police are out apprehending people who have committed crime in our community, it gives the perpetrators of crime a different look. So it's not always the same vehicle that will respond to a crime scene," Brown said.
The city's capital budget and several FEMA grants covered the $1.6 million cost of the new cars. The department's fleet now includes 216 marked police vehicles and 134 unmarked vehicles.