The Next Patrol Vehicle You See May be a Subaru

As drivers in Kitsap County hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, there won’t be a new Sheriff in town, but there will be a new vehicle for the Sheriff in town. At a public ceremony today in Port Orchard, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) and Subaru will unveil their latest effort in working together to enhance traffic safety.

With assistance from WTSC, the Peninsula Subaru Dealership and the Subaru Northwest Region, the Sheriff’s Office will put into service a brand new 2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Sedan to be used as an unmarked traffic safety enforcement vehicle. The primary role of the vehicle will be to conduct school zone safety enforcement and to combat aggressive driving.

“Over the past several years, the Sheriff’s Office has noted a growing concern by Kitsap residents about aggressive driving behavior in this county,” said Sheriff Steve Boyer. “To address this problem we have implemented a county-wide traffic safety initiative, designed to be phased into operation in several stages,” added the Sheriff. “To date, this initiative has included the addition of two full-time motorcycle patrol deputies; the establishment of a school zone and speed enforcement position; hosting of the Kitsap County Traffic Safety Coordinator; and now the introduction of a new, low profile, traffic safety enforcement vehicle.”

Peninsula Subaru will host the public unveiling of the new Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT patrol vehicle with representatives on hand from the Sheriff’s Office, WTSC, Subaru, Kitsap County Public Works and the Board of County Commissioners. The new vehicle has already been properly outfitted with the necessary emergency and police related equipment installed by the technicians from Kitsap County Public Works.

“We chose the Subaru Legacy because we were looking for an all-wheel drive vehicle with solid performance and handling capabilities,” said Mike Merrill, Sergeant, Traffic Division, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. “We also needed a vehicle that could perform in all types of weather conditions that we experience here in the Northwest and we ultimately were impressed with the Subaru Legacy’s active safety features and its high safety ratings.”

The Subaru Legacy holds the distinct honor of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick Gold” award for its performance in crash tests that measure the ability to protect occupants in front, side and rear impact crashes (http://www.iihs.org/). Beyond its many accolades for passive safety, the Subaru Legacy boasts a whole host of active safety features including Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive coupled with its unique boxer engine, 4-wheel long-travel independent suspension, and 4-channel/4-sensor anti-lock braking system, to name but a few. The combination of these safety features gives drivers enhanced performance and handling characteristics that provide a feeling of confidence and control.

“At Subaru, we believe that safety shouldn’t be an option and that’s why we are the only vehicle manufacturer to have all-wheel drive standard on every vehicle we make,” said Jim Pernas, Regional Vice President, Subaru Northwest Region, Subaru of America, Inc. “It’s our commitment to safety that made this partnership with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the WTSC a perfect fit. Peninsula Subaru is a top dealer for Subaru nationwide, earning the Subaru Stellar Performer Certification for an outstanding track-record in customer loyalty and fixed operations, and we are very proud of their active community involvement and commitment to their customers.”