High-Speed Pursuit Just Got a Lot More Efficient
Vancouver, British Columbia, considered the jewel of the Pacific, is a city nestled among the snow-capped mountains of the Coastal Range and the sparkling blue waves of the Pacific Ocean. Vancouver, with its many
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| For a short time Cadillac's new XLR was added to the Vancouver Police department's fleet. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
distinctive communities and highly diverse population, is policed by 1,100 fine men and women in blue. Commanding the human blue-wave is Chief Constable Jamie Hamilton Graham of the Vancouver Police Department. Overseeing an organization of 1,100 gun-toting police officers places Chief Graham among the top power brokers in the city. Recently, however, 320 horsepower, in the form of a 2004 Cadillac XLR, was added to the Chief's short term command. You see, in addition to the passion he brings to running one of North America's most progressive, leading edge police departments, the 54 year-old, 6 foot 3 inch sturdy ex-Mountie has a passion for cars. And
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| Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham, a true car enthusiast, was more then happy to take the XLR for a street-level policing test-drive. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
it's the pairing of these passions that led me to seek the Chief's input on a recent road test of Cadillac's high-end, convertible hardtop, two-seater sports car. While the Chief put the XLR through the rigors of street-level policing, confined or should we say jailed in the bottom level of the police parkade was the black Ford Crown Victoria that serves as his regular set of wheels. Of course this is a full-size sedan, replete with all the policing gear found in a patrol officer's car. But fear not fine citizens of Vancouver, as the Chief monitored the street activity from the open-air cab of the retractable hardtop Caddy he was not without his uniform, gun and red flashing fireball.
