With any new car comes a period of showing it off, but the TCU Police say they are just on patrol when they drive through campus in their new 2010 Chevrolet Tahoes.

The university purchased three of the SUVs in May to replace three of the department’s 2007 Dodge Durangos, as they do every two years. TCU Police Sergeant Al

Allcon said the change came after Dodge discontinued the 2010 Durango model.

The new Tahoes have their advantages though, he said.

“We like the height and size of the vehicle so that we can patrol the parking lots and be able to see,” Allcon said. “We can also use the storage space you have behind the seats for the things we move around campus, [like] signs and barricades.”

Police did not say whether the extra room came at a price.

Allcon said the Physical Plant purchased the vehicles, but facilities services director Joe Laster declined to give those figures to the Skiff. The Kelley Blue Book website lists the manufacturers’ suggested retail price of the cars at $38,230, and Allcon said the police spent $1,600 modifying the SUVs for their use.

Allcon said members of the TCU Police Department looked at several vehicles of different sizes and varieties, including the Ford Edge and Dodge Journey, to provide feedback to the Physical Plant. The 2010 Edge had a Kelly Blue Book MSRP of $28,195, while the 2010 Journey was listed at $21,165.

The larger Tahoes were a more comfortable fit for patrol officers who spend hours each day behind the wheel, Allcon said.

“We have a couple of our officers who are quite large, and we felt some of the smaller vehicles would be cramped for them,” Allcon said.

TCU Police Officer Dale Connor said cramping wasn’t an issue for him but the Durango seats were. He’s just happy he no longer has to carry a blanket to sit on in the deeper Durango seats. He said he also supported the Chevrolet brand.

Allcon said not everything on the vehicles was new. The police department recycled the radios and light bars from the Durangos, and the graphics on the sides of the patrol cars are also very similar, aside from an updated font on the Tahoes.

The new cars are a great fit all around, Allcon said.

“We had to come up with a new vehicle that we thought would meet the needs we have here on the campus,” Allcon said. “For the most part, I think the officers are very happy with the Tahoes.”