Prince George was humorously mentioned during the final patrol of the remaining Ford Crown Victoria in the Daajing Giids RCMP Fleet, which is being retired after more than 14 years and well over 180 thousand kilometres of service.
Members of the Daajing Giids detachment came out to celebrate one last leisurely drive with the vehicle, before it's swapped out with a replacement.
"Sure, the rear defroster didn’t work, the trunk rarely stayed closed, and the heat only worked sporadically, it always fired up in the harshest of weather and brought everyone who drove it home safely. In its later years it was plagued by mysterious clunks, squeaks, whines, a speed wobble and we never did figure out the cause for the one smell. It was also made in a time before traction control and long before back-up cameras, yet I’ll still miss driving that old car," said Detachment Commander Sergeant Chris Manseau in a press release.
"I have been telling the junior members here the car will be sent to a farm north of Prince George, where it can romp and play in fields with other retired Crown Victorias to live out its remaining days," he added with a wink.
It was a childhood dream to drive that model of police car, explained Manseau, who got his first chance to get behind the wheel of one during training in Regina.
Ford stopped production in 2011, but it's still the most widely used automobile in law enforcement, with the Daajing Giids vehicle likely one of the last few ever produced. Many are still in service, continuing to work away in law enforcement.
"From all of the members here in Daajing Giids we would like to say So long, adieu, and Háw’aa (thank-you in Xaad Kíl) to the longest serving member of the RCMP fleet here in Daajing Giids," ends the press release.
