BY MARK BOWES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The familiar silver-gray-and-blue police sedans driven by state troopers on Virginia's roadways are being phased out, perhaps for good, as the department transitions its fleet to Ford Interceptor Sport Utility Vehicles as a matter of necessity.
Faced with Ford Motor Co.'s decision to end production of its popular Taurus Police Interceptor sedan, state police officials said they had little choice but convert to an all SUV fleet - after other vehicles tested failed to meet the department's needs.
The department has purchased 204 of the Ford SUV Interceptors - essentially a high-performance version of the Ford Explorer - and a pending $9.5 million funding request before the General Assembly would go toward the purchase of 400 more of the vehicles in fiscal year 2021-22. The additional funding is included in both the Senate and House versions of the amended state budget that legislators now are reviewing during the special session.