Petersburg Police deploy new fleet of take-home patrol cars with advanced safety technology

PETERSBURG, Va. — Petersburg Police are deploying a new fleet of patrol vehicles — roughly 38 Ford SUVs equipped with the Police Interceptor Package and advanced safety technology — with 10 more on the way.

The vehicles come with a new graphics package, replacing the old black-and-white look with a brighter, reflective 3D design. The cars are also surrounded by LED lights, adding another layer of visibility and safety.

One of the most significant changes accompanying the new fleet is a shift to a take-home car policy, allowing officers to keep an assigned vehicle rather than sharing cars around the clock.

"A take home is something everybody wants cause then you can make it your own. You can keep it clean the way you want, so it was a big difference," Officer Danielle Hamilton said.

Officer Omar Tawakali called the move a milestone for the department.

"Not just assigned, but a take home vehicle, that's a huge stepping stone for us," Tawakali said.

The new vehicles replace a system in which some patrol cars never stopped running.

"Typically we've had vehicles here that turn 24 hours a day, which we consider hot seating vehicles," Chief Travis Christian said.

Chief Christian said the scale of this delivery is unprecedented for the city.

"To my knowledge, we have never seen this amount of vehicles at one time come into our city," Christian said.

Beyond the take-home policy, the SUVs include several technology features designed to protect officers and the public.

The vehicles are equipped with a system that automatically rolls up windows if someone approaches while they are down. The siren is also programmed to cut off automatically when an officer puts the vehicle in park and opens the door to pursue a fleeing suspect on foot.

When multiple police cars are on scene, the light bars sync together to reduce visual distraction for other drivers.

"I feel like it helps with people's eyes as well, to avoid us for sure," Hamilton said.

Officers say they spend long shifts inside their vehicles, making the quality of the cars a daily concern.

"This is our office, we spend 12 hours, sometimes 16 hours in a vehicle," Tawakali said.

Chief Christian said the new fleet is also expected to help with staffing.

"With the equipment we're bringing in to the department, the new fleet of vehicles, this will help with retention and recruitment," Christian said.

Hamilton agreed.

"I think, especially with how many we are getting, I think it will keep some people around, for sure," Hamilton said.

Members of the public have also taken notice. Wilson Rivera, a Petersburg business owner, welcomed the change.

"Think it's great for the city, it's great. They needed new police cars," Rivera said.

For Tawakali, the new fleet carries a deeper meaning.

"At the end of the day, we all want to get home safely and knowing our agency cares about us enough to provide us up to date equipment and features that is going to make sure we do get home safely, that speaks by itself," Tawakali said.

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