OPP black & white cruisers on patrol again

OPP NEWS RELEASE

************************* (ST.THOMAS, ON) – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers will soon be patrolling Ontario roadways and communities in the traditional black-and-white police car, adding greater visibility and instant recognition to OPP general duty and traffic patrol.

Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter joined OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and Ford Motor Company of Canada St. Thomas Assembly Plant Manager Mark Boldin to unveil the new OPP black-and-white Crown Victoria cruiser being built in St. Thomas.

"We welcome the return of the traditional black-and-white cruisers," said Minister Kwinter. "Their enhanced visibility on Ontario’s major highways will add significantly to the safe driving message we want to reinforce with the motoring public. We support the OPP and the important work police officers are doing to keep our communities safe," added Minister Kwinter.

The black-and-white cruisers will provide a distinctive presence to OPP stepped-up efforts to make Ontario highways safer and to bring traffic safety issues in line with other important public safety issues and concerns.

"Officer and public safety are the primary concerns," said Commissioner Fantino.

"The black-and-white patrol vehicle will be instantly recognizable as an OPP patrol car and, with the new LED high-visibility roof lights and vehicle markings, will have a greater impact on the visibility of OPP vehicles patrolling our communities and our roadways," added Commissioner Fantino. The first OPP black-and-white cruisers will be patrolling high traffic areas of the 400 series highways by the beginning of March 2007.

The full roll out will follow the normal replacement schedule for general patrol vehicles, returning the OPP fleet of patrol vehicles to the traditional black-and-white configuration over the next two-and-a-half years.

The reintroduction of the traditional look cruisers coincides with the renewed OPP focus on traffic safety, in particular aggressive targeting of the inappropriate actions of dangerous drivers who compromise public and officer safety.

"The distinctiveness of the black-and-white cruiser makes it a high visibility feature of the directed enforcement program that is part of our all-out focus on traffic safety," explained Commissioner Fantino.

Higher visibility and public recognition of black and white police car markings are factors that contribute to improved officer and public safety in traffic enforcement and general patrol duties.

"We appreciate Ford of Canada's support for this initiative and are pleased that the first OPP black and whites are coming off the line here," said Commissioner Fantino. Mark Boldin, plant manager, Ford St. Thomas Assembly Plant said, "It makes everyone at St. Thomas Assembly feel proud to know that approximately 80 percent of police vehicles across North America are built right here in St. Thomas."

Over the years, the OPP has used several variations of the black and white tradition.

In 1989, the all-white cruisers with blue and gold striping were initiated and by 1993, the black-and-white vehicles were completely phased out.

The OPP maintains a fleet of approximately 1,200 general patrol cars.

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