Mendota police cars get new look

The all-white patrol cars that Mendota police use are being updated with a fresh coat of paint and new graphics, thanks togrant funding.

Police officers, city staff, and City Council members contributed ideas to the design.

“The majority of them wanted a black-and-white car,” Police Chief Gregg Andreotti said.

The new design includes black paint, a seven-point star, and larger lettering that shifts from dark blue to light blue. An American flag is on both sides underneath the spotlights. “Police” has been updated to “Mendota Police.”

Andreotti said the white patrol cars were sometimes missed by residents or drivers. The black-and-white cars stand out more and are more readily seen, he said.

“We want to be seen, we want to be noticed,” Andreotti said.

A new patrol car was just recently bought, and all seven cars in the police department’s fleet will be updated.

The redesign was funded by third-party grants, and no city or police department general funds were used.

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Mendota police cars get new look."