Vickstang
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https://indianacapitalchronicle.com...ut-new-fleet-of-dodge-durangos-ford-mustangs/
Indiana State Police officially unveiled a new era of patrol vehicles Wednesday — blue-and-white Dodge Durangos and Ford Mustang GTs — that ISP leaders said will boost visibility, modernize the statewide fleet and better equip troopers to combat aggressive driving and street racing across the state.
The rollout also marks the first phase of what ISP calls “high visibility patrol,” which includes five marked Ford Mustangs distributed across the state’s five primary areas in central Indiana, Fort Wayne, northwest Indiana, Evansville and Sellersburg.
The high-performance vehicles are especially intended to address a surge in road rage, reckless driving and illegal street racing across Indiana — and be more visible in the process.
Four of the Mustangs are assigned to veteran master troopers with at least 15 years of experience. Troopers selected to drive a Mustang had to submit a memo to the superiors and were hand-selected by Scott. They also had to undergo specialized driving training.
The Mustangs — equipped with 5.0-liter “Coyote” engines, radar systems, in-car cameras and dash-mounted computers — will help to intercept aggressive drivers before they cause crashes, said Master Trooper Nick Klingkammer, an 18-year ISP veteran.
State police officials emphasized that the vehicles are meant to deter, not invite, pursuits.
Klingkammer, who’s assigned to District 5 in central Indiana, was among the five selected to receive a Mustang. During a ride-along, Klingkammer called it “a mobile office” and a tool for prevention.
“This is where I spend my day,” he said, gesturing to the vehicle’s compact interior.
His Mustang had just 759 miles when he left the ISP parking lot on Wednesday. The master trooper hadn’t yet conducted a traffic stop when he started his patrol. He expects his first stop to come sometimes Thursday, after technicians make some final electrical tweaks.
“Any trooper who works the road — their office is their car,” Klingkammer emphasized.
He said the Mustangs’ agility and speed will help troopers safely catch up to drivers traveling 90 or 100 miles per hour, or prevent high-speed chases altogether.
“This car has the capability to drive at high speeds,” Klingkammer said. “We have the training to drive at high speeds. But our goal is prevention — to get one person to rethink their mindset, not to get into a pursuit or street race. If that happens, we’ve won.”
The new vehicles are also intended to boost officer safety and public visibility. Klingkammer noted that the “bold” design attracts attention even when parked on the side of the interstate.
“I guarantee you I’m the talk of the interstate right now because of these truckers going by,” he said Wednesday afternoon while monitoring traffic on Interstate 70 just east of Indianapolis. “They’re going, ‘Oh my God, they’re in a Mustang.’”
While the cars can accelerate quickly — hitting 100 miles an hour in a matter of seconds — Klingkammer said troopers won’t be driving them in snow or ice.
The rear-wheel-drive Mustangs will likely be swapped out for all-wheel-drive Durangos on rough weather days in winter months “to protect taxpayer money” and avoid unnecessary risk.
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