Police cruiser a relic of past
Jan. 21—If the opening scene of the iconic, 1980s police drama " Hill Street Blues" was filmed today, it would likely feature different- looking vehicles snaking their way through Chicago's wet streets.
In fact, they would probably look like something used by parents to take their children to soccer practice or families shuttling off to summer vacation.
After decades of using familiar fourdoor sedans, police vehicles in 2022 are regularly bigger and more mobile sport utility vehicles.
"Adam-12's" Jim Reed and Pete Malloy can't get to where modern police can.
From the Thread City to the University of Connecticut and Coventry police departments, the area's finest are employing vehicles suited as much for the wilderness as the highway.
Willimantic Police Department Sgt. Josh Clark cites the additional space SUVs provide as one of the main reasons the department started using them in 2015.
" We had one officer who was about (6-feet, 6-inches tall) and he couldn't fit in the cars," he said. " The cars are very compact and hard to get into with your full duty gear."
The SUVs also provide more room for the officers' equipment. The newer
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