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.
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