HOUSTON, TX – The Shenandoah, Tex., City Police Department recently made the addition of four rear-wheel-drive 2006 Dodge Chargers to its patrol fleet. Three more are on order and scheduled for delivery in early-2007. The Dodge police vehicle safety features include all-speed Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Brake Assist, and four-wheel Anti-lock Disc Brake System (ABS).

Shenandoah considered purchasing Dodge Charger police vehicles after a positive vehicle reception at the Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation Program. This benchmark program sets the standard for police departments across the United States when ordering new fleet vehicles. For two years running, Dodge Charger police vehicles have met and often exceeded requirements of those tests, which included a series of grueling on-road exercises that evaluated acceleration, top speed, braking, and vehicle dynamics.

Out of the 16 police vehicles tested, top results for Dodge police vehicles included:

• Dodge Charger 5.7L HEMI posted best-in-class top speed of over 145 mph.

• Dodge Charger 5.7L HEMI and Dodge Magnum 5.7L HEMI posted first and second place in acceleration times.

• Dodge Magnum 5.7L HEMI and Dodge Charger 5.7L HEMI posted first and second place in vehicle dynamics testing.

• Dodge vehicles secured the first four places in braking distance; with the Dodge Magnum 3.5L V-6 and Dodge Charger 3.5L V-6 coming in first and second and the Dodge Magnum 5.7L HEMI V-8 and Dodge Charger 5.7L HEMI V-8 placing third and fourth.

• In addition, the Magnum 3.5L V-6 and Dodge Charger 3.5L V-6 posted best-in-class fuel economy in the city with 19 mpg.

  Shenandoah joins other U.S. cities updating their police patrols with Dodge police vehicles including: Denver, Colo.; Fort Worth, Tex.; Orange County, Calif.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Richland, Miss.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Seattle, Wash.