General News
11 January, 2025
More practical police wheels
AUSTRALIA’S second most popular car – the Toyota RAV4 – is being added to the Queensland Police fleet in hybrid form.
Four hundred RAV4 hybrid vehicles will replace general duties Camry police cars across Queensland.
The fit-for-purpose RAV4s feature a number of improved safety features, including custom-made driver protection screens, specialist lighting systems and modernised lockable storage for weapons.
The hybrid vehicles will replace hundreds of Camrys currently being used by general duties officers across Queensland, including in Cairns.
A Crisafulli government spokeswoman said the roll-out was just one of a suite of measures that the government had implemented to support the Making Queensland Safer Laws which came into effect last month.
“The vehicles are part of the Crisafulli government’s plan to give front-line police the resources they need to do their jobs effectively and safely, which will continue to deliver change for Queensland,” she said.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Dan Purdie (far right with deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie) said the roll-out would commence within the next three months.
“Vehicles are an integral piece of policing equipment and are often used as an ‘office on wheels’ by general duties officers,” he said.
“Ensuring they have the latest technology and mod cons will mean frontline police are better equipped do their jobs from the road.
“It will also mean improved safety conditions for our officers and the community, which is a top priority for the Crisafulli government.”
The fleet features a mix of blue, silver, and white RAV4s, which are fitted with specially-designed pursuit lightbars that synchronise with flash patterns across other emergency vehicles.
