GREEN ACRES, Fla. — The city's police cars should have a uniform look by mid-May, when new logos featuring the word "police" in reflective letters across both doors and a solid lateral stripe will be added to 24 of the police department's marked cars.
The city council Monday approved spending $8,568 in forfeiture money to update the police cars with new logos designed by the city's Department of Public Safety. The new logo features the city's name spelled out across both doors in smaller letters under the word "police."
The old police car logos, which incorporate more colors, can fade in the sun and are harder to adapt to a variety of vehicles, Public Safety Director Michael Porath said.
"It's a little bit sleeker," Porath told council members, referring to the new logo design. "In my opinion, it's a professional image."
Councilman Peter Noble cast the only vote against the new police vehicle logos. Noble said the old logos were attractive and so easy to recognize that they deterred crime.
Councilwoman Paula Bousquet said the police department, not the city council, should choose the design.
The old logo dates to the 1990s and features colorful lateral striping. A smaller version of the old logo was created when the city bought Chevrolet Impala police cars.
Eleven new Ford Crown Victoria police vehicles were delivered with the new logo in February.
Mayor Sam Ferreri said he was not especially fond of the new logo until he saw one of the new police cars parked across a road during an accident investigation at night. The reflective tape on the letters showed up well across the car, making the sides of the vehicles highly visible, Ferreri said.
Porath said it's important that all of the city's police vehicles have the same logos. "That way, people don't get confused."
The new logo will be incorporated into police cars the city plans to order in October. Those vehicles are expected to be delivered and on the road by the spring of 2013.