New Chicago police vehicles are hitting the city’s streets.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Thursday the 40 new cars are the first batch of 550 Ford Explorers and Interceptors the department will have by early next year.
Johnson says the vehicles are part of the city’s commitment “to give officers the resources they need in the field to make our neighborhoods safer.”
Each vehicle will be equipped with a new style of lights to enhance police presence in neighborhoods and new mobile computers that will connect officers with police databases and gunshot detection systems.
The cars replace vehicles that are more than 10 years old and have more than 100,000 miles.
The vehicles are being built at a Chicago Ford plant.