Cary police chief breaking the mold with electric squad car


Cary police chief breaking the mold with electric squad car

CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — In one local community the men and women in blue are going green in an effort to save money, and the environment.

After 22 years in law enforcement Cary Police Chief Toni Dezomits is still driven by the same principles.

“My father was a police officer,” said Cary Police Chief Toni Dezomits. “My grandfather was a police chief, then a justice of the peace, so it’s kind of in my blood.”

In this case it’s not what drivers her, but rather what she drives, that sets Chief Dezomits apart from her peers.

“Just today I was riding in the car taking a citizen to deliver prayer boxes, and a citizen drove up next to us and rolled down the window and ask Is that a police car,” said Chief Dezomits. “I said yes it’s a police car.”

Not only is she breaking the glass ceiling, but her Nissan Leaf is breaking the mold of what a squad car is supposed to look like.

“You can break traditional policing ideas about vehicles,” said Dezomits. “This one’s faster. That’s the secret. This car is actually a pretty fast car. It will get up and go!”

She admits that she gets her fair share of funny looks, but when the lights come on it’s no laughing matter.

“I’ve actually done some traffic stops in it,” said Dezomits. “It always turns into a more interesting traffic stop when the person turns around and says, “Is that an electric car you’re driving?”

Chief Dezomits says the electric squad car can go more than 100 miles on a single charge which saves the town money on gas.

CBS17 asked Chief Dezomits if she could envision a fleet of electric squad cars one day.

“I would never bet against it,” said Dezomits. “Although it’s probably not suited for patrol work it is a good way to kind of be fiscally responsible with our tax dollars and show some good faith towards sustainability measures.”

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