Police - Decommissioned police cars continue to drive as civilian patrols
Now that the NRW police are phasing out hundreds of Ford S-Max patrol cars, many of them will continue to be used in other areas: Without blue lights and the typical livery, they will be used as civilian patrol cars, for example, said a spokeswoman for the State Office for Central Police Services (LZPD).
"According to current plans, a large proportion of the decommissioned old vehicles will initially remain in the NRW police fleet and will be put to good use here," the spokesperson reported. For example, the decommissioned patrol cars could also be used for training or as logistics vehicles.
The rest will be "dismantled" from December: In addition to the blue light, the radio, for example, will be dismantled. According to the LZPD, these cars are to be sold online in spring 2024.
The Ford S-Max was introduced as a patrol car four years ago alongside the Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus. Previously, the NRW police drove BMWs. As patrol cars are exposed to high stresses in the field and cover many kilometers, they are usually replaced after a few years, according to the LZPD.
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- Instead of being retired entirely, many of the decommissioned police cars in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will be repurposed as civil patrol vehicles, operating without their distinctive blue lights and livery.
- In addition to the police force, the decommissioned Ford S-Max patrol cars might also be utilized for training purposes or as logistics vehicles within the NRW police fleet.
- Düsseldorf, being a part of NRW, could potentially see some of these decommissioned police cars serving as civilian patrol vehicles, contributing to local security efforts.
- The civil patrol in North Rhine-Westphalia may introduce some used police cars, equipped with Ford engines, into their fleet, after the dismantlement and online sale of the decommissioned police car models from December onwards.
Source: www.stern.de
