City Replaces 40 Percent of Police Cruisers

Have you noticed sharper police cruisers on patrol?

It's not just your imagination - Melrose unveiled new patrol cars with smaller engines that save about 25% in fuel costs and LED lights that provide less strain on the vehicle's electrical system. 

Police Chief Michael Lyle said the upgrades will include new laptops with up-to-date software. 

“With the Melrose Alert program, if someone is missing and their information has been registered with the Melrose Police Department or the Council on Aging, the officer will be able to pull up the missing person’s photo and information on their screen,” he wrote in an emailed statement. 

“They will also be able to access our records management system and file a very short police report from the road. The radio system is superior to what we had in the previous vehicle, and the lights are LED lights so they aren’t as much of a drain on the electrical system.”