Village Police Get New Ford Squad Cars

Soon, you'll spot new East Hampton Village police cars on the road, just hopefully not behind you with lights and sirens.

Like the town police did earlier this spring, village police are replacing some of the older squad cars with new models of the Ford Taurus. East Hampton Village Police Chief Jerry Larsen explained that the Crown Victoria police car is no longer being made, so police agencies are shifting to a different model.

Village police ordered three new squad cars, which have arrived in East Hampton, and are being outfitted with the department's computer system. Larsen expects they will be on the road in the next few days.

"I'm very happy with them. They look good," Larsen said.

The village cars were a bit delayed, however. "We ordered three white ones, and they sent us all black cars by mistake," Larsen said. The vehicles were shipped to Medford, where they are fit with a lighting package. A sergeant drove there to take a look at them before signing off on the delivery, when the mistake was realized. 

"We had to wait another three months," he said. "But they are here now and they look great." 

The department added back-up sensors because the back window was difficult to see through in the new model, Larsen said.