W. Dundee to get hybrid squad car

Fighting crime in West Dundee now will be a little easier on the environment.

Trustees on Monday approved $12,377 toward the purchase and outfitting of a hybrid squad car for which the police department also recently received a $19,130 federal grant.

The grant, administered through the Illinois Criminal Justice Communication Authority, will cover 75 percent of the cost of the Toyota Camry. The village will be responsible for the remaining 25 percent. The additional $5,623 will cover expenses to install items such as emergency lighting, radios, a computer and onboard video camera, Police Chief David Sawyer said.

The Camry will join the fleet of Ford Interceptors and Explorers, which only get about 17 miles per gallon. The hybrid vehicle is expected to get double that, Sawyer said.

While he would not identify the vehicle's color, Sawyer said the department would use the newest squad car for investigations, surveillance and traffic control.

"It is so quiet you have to leave the radio on," Sawyer said. "We can go into areas of town and sneak up (on people). They won't even know we are there."

The village was one of 38 departments in the state to receive a grant; more than 380 applications were made. As part of the grant requirement, the department will participate in a study to determine the effectiveness of hybrid police vehicles.

"One of our strategic goals was to move into the greening of the village," Trustee Becky Gillam said. "This is move in that direction."

Village President Larry Keller said the department was setting a new course for other communities.

"There's always some controversy with the speed of a hybrid, but high-speed chases are not a big concern" Keller said. "This is an example that we can use hybrid vehicles for police work."

The police department, which has not replaced a squad car in almost two years, expects to receive the vehicle in about six weeks, Sawyer said.