Police chief: Massillon's vehicle fleet increases to 19 with recent purchases
MASSILLON – A contingent of new police SUVs will be hitting the city streets soon, giving the Massillon Police Department a bit of a new look.
Four 2023 Dodge Durangos have been added to the force's fleet, bringing the total vehicle numbers to 19, including five undercover vehicles, according to Chief Jason Saintenoy, who said a pair of the new cars were in line to be on the road last week.
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The cars have been outfitted with modern law-enforcement technology and equipment, and have a slightly different look than older cars the agency uses.
"We wanted to let people know about the new look, and show that these (vehicles) really are Massillon police cars," said Saintenoy, who offered Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry, Safety-Service Director Barb Sylvester and a few officers a first glimpse at one of the cars on Oct. 10.
Gun-metal gray – rather than white – is the base color of the new SUVs, which include red and blue lighting on the roof and exterior floorboards. Older models are equipped solely with blue lights on the roof.
A U.S. flag logo is part of the rear window of the new vehicles. Also new is a revised siren with a seemingly higher pitch.
The SUV on display included a push bar attached to the front bumper. Saintenoy said he's likely to include that feature on the other three.
"It's a good feature to have to help remove an object (or other car) from the roadway (during an emergency), and adds extra protection if you hit a deer or animal," he said.
Cost per vehicle came in at approximately $70,000, or about $280,000 in total for all four. They were purchased locally from Progressive Auto Group.
"We've had a vehicle rotation plan in place for some time," said Sylvester. "This purchase (of the four vehicles) was part of that initiative."
The city's more recent purchase of police cruiser purchase came last year, said Saintenoy, noting that it was a Ford Interceptor.
"As soon as the (2024 city budget) is in place, we'll try to get two more (Dodge Durango) vehicles ordered for delivery next year," the chief said.
New police traffic division en route to Massillon?
Earlier this month, Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry told a group of Canton Repository editors that she and the Police Department are working on a plan to establish a dedicated patrol bureau made up of an unspecified number of city officers.
The mayor said she was not announcing the formation of a new patrol unit, but it's something the city wants to have in place perhaps as soon as 2024.
Saintenoy said there have been talks between he and Catazaro-Perry to establish a patrol division, adding that doing so may take some time.
The Police Department is challenged with filling regular duty shifts, said Saintenoy, adding that he can't dedicate full-time officers to traffic-only business.
By mid-to-late 2024, Saintenoy said, officer staffing should be at a point where a traffic bureau is possible.
Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon Police Department beefs up fleet of cruisers by adding 4
