The Doings Weekly

New Burr Ridge squads equipped with new technology

Updated: October 14, 2012 12:26PM

BURR RIDGE — Three new vehicles soon will patrol the streets of Burr Ridge, and two of those vehicles will be equipped with new video cameras.

“It is more advanced technology,” Police Chief John Madden said of the camera systems, which will allow footage to be downloaded wirelessly to the police station’s hard drive. The current system records to a DVD recorder located in the trunk of each squad.

The updated cameras are the first of 10 that the Police Department hopes to install over the next several years.

“Our plan is to replace two each year,” Madden said.

The cameras turn on automatically when an officer activates the squad’s lights and siren.

The $5,295 cost of each system is included in this year’s village budget, as is the cost of the cars themselves.

Madden said a new Ford sedan and a pair of utility vehicles will replace three vehicles in the department’s 10-vehicle fleet of marked squad cars.

“We keep our cars way longer than we used to,” said Madden.

He said all three retired vehicles are at least four years old and have been driven more than 100,000 miles.

The new cars, which arrived several weeks ago, are getting a new look on the outside, as well.

“We have a new design,” Madden said. “It is more in tune with the logo of the village.”





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