A new police dog unit patrol car has been revealed today, promising a much more comfortable ride for New Zealand’s furriest law enforcement workers.
The all-wheel-drive 206kW Skoda Superb Station Wagon will take over from the Holden Ute and Equinox as the dog unit’s car of choice.
Police previously announced Skoda would be the main supplier of Prime One patrol vehicles following Holden’s exit from the New Zealand market in 2020.
“These vehicles have been very reliable workhorses over the years and fit for the role they play in a very demanding part of the operational environment,” Inspector Brian Yanko, fleet manager for NZ Police, said.
The new vehicle comes with a number of new features that aim to improve the comfort of both dogs and handlers. (Source: 1News)
To match the high expectations dogs and their handlers had for the previous cars, Yanko said police took a “blank canvas” approach with the design, working with both handlers and tactical responders.
The new vehicle comes with a number of new features that aim to improve the comfort of both dogs and handlers.
It includes a new air conditioning system that monitors the pod - where the dogs sit.
When the car heats up above 28 degrees, the driver gets a warning, and a vent on top will start releasing fresh air.
If it hits 32 degrees, which is critical for dogs, the windows will drop down, and fresh air will fill the car.
Another critical piece of kit is the remote quick-release window drop-down. If things start to turn ugly and the officer needs the assistance of a dog, they can access a remote control, and the window will drop.
“The vehicle is set up around the safety of dog handlers and their dogs,” the national coordinator of police dogs, Todd Southall, said.
“It's been a long time coming. We’ve been waiting for a really fit-for-purpose vehicle, and it probably brings features that we’ve never had in a vehicle before."
The vehicle setup was completed by Wade Group, who have been working with dog handlers over the past year. They even had one of the police’s biggest canines go for a spin, proving its comfort.
The new Skoda’s have been trialled for the last three months and will be rolled out onto the beat tomorrow.
Between 15 and 20 vehicles will be deployed by the end of June this year, with a further 70 hitting the roads in the following 12 months.
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