Policing the mean streets of America is a difficult job. So it means any extra help would be welcomed with open arms.
As a result, picking the Officer Protection Pack when ordering a new Dodge Charger Pursuit car would seem to be an easy choice for fleet managers.
The system makes use of sensors, and a rear-facing camera, to look out for persons approaching the vehicle from behind whilst stationary. Officers working alone, and potentially lost in paperwork, are said to be particularly at risk of attack.
On detecting motion at the rear, the Charger Pursuit acts to alert the officer to the danger. A chime sounds inside the car, and the rear-view camera shows an image of what is going on.
Depending on the policies of the particular law enforcement agency, further automatic responses can also be programmed into the Officer Protection Pack.
Doors can be set to lock automatically, windows to roll up, and various lights to flash. All of these measures are intended to help officers assess potential threats, and react accordingly.
First introduced in 2017, more than 10,000 Charger Pursuits have been specified with the Officer Protection Pack. Expect this number to rise, and the system is now a no-cost option for 2019 model year cars.
The Dodge Charger Pursuit is America’s best-selling police car, taking a substantial amount of the valuable law enforcement market. 2019 versions of the Charger Pursuit are offered with a choice of V6 and V8 engines, the latter available with AWD.
We’re sure officers are excited about features like the Protection Pack, but the chance to drive a 370 horsepower Charger for work sounds rather appealing, too.
This year has also seen Dodge released a pursuit-rated version of the Durango SUV, powered by a Hemi V8 engine.