PATROL CAR INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION » SQUAD CARS

The Deerfield Police Department has eleven marked patrol cars. These marked cars are Ford Crown Victoria 2003 Police Interceptor models. They are equipped with a higher quality suspension system and a high performance engine. All squad cars are maintained by the Village of Deerfield and used for approximately two to four years. The patrol car is an essential tool in law enforcement and it must be equipped for any situation, as it is the patrolman's "office". Each car holds a variety of equipment for use in the field.

Each squad car is equipped with a laptop computer, which is linked to a variety of different resources. The officer is able to send and receive messages from dispatch and other officers in the field. The computers also connect to different state and federal databases, enabling officers to run criminal history background checks, obtain license information, as well as a wealth of other information. This makes the officer's job easier and more efficant because the officer does not have to wait for the dispatcher to relay the information to him or her. Thanks to these laptops, all information is provided on location.

The squad car is also equipped with proper emergency lighting and audio warning devices, such as Code3 emergency lighting products. The light bar on top of the squad holds rotating red, blue and white flashers, an arrow stick and an Opticom light. The Opticom light is used to change traffic signals to green, when responding to an emergency call.

Each squad car also has radar equipment and video cameras. The camera is positioned at the front part of the dash and the mic to the camera is carried on the officer’s belt. These cameras are activated when the emergency lights are turned on.

Each squad car contains Automatic Defibrillators (AED). The Defibrillators are used when a person is in cardiac arrest and requires CPR. The Defibrillator provides life saving assistance until medical personnel arrive.

Each car is also equipped with Stop Sticks. These are used to bring vehicle pursuits to a halt. The Stop Sticks are laid across the roadway to deflate the tires of a suspect’s vehicle by puncturing the tires with small spikes.