From a rocky start, the Indiana General Assembly has settled into a more contemplative, polite and even productive mode in the second half of its session.Fort Wayne Police Department cruisers are sporting a new logo that better reflects the department’s technologically advanced reputation and is more reflective to light.
“As far as technology, we are one of the most advanced departments in the country,” Police Chief Rusty York said. “We wanted a logo to reflect that.” The logo uses highly reflective material from 3M with 50 percent more reflective material on the sides of squad cars. The new cars also have reflective material on the front and back of the car making it much easier for the cars to be seen. The makeover will greatly improve safety for officers and the public.
York said the logo had not been changed since the early 1980s, and the old logo was fashioned from Chicago’s logo.
The department has 70 cars with the new logo. It will take about six years before the whole fleet shares the new look. Older cars won’t be retrofitted with the new logo because of the time and expense.
The logo is not the only addition to FWPD cars. The department is using state money to equip 80 cars with scanners and printers for e-tickets. And a $600,000 grant is paying for updates to the Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems. Officers will be able to use a wireless scanner to check the identification of a person on the spot without having to bring the person downtown.
