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Mountain View Police Department
1000 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
650/903-6344
Directions & Map
Hours
General Business:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.)
Walk-in Crime Reports:
7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (7 days)
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Vehicles
MVPD has a variety of specialized vehicles for various law enforcement responsibilities. All vehicles go through routine service every 4,000 miles at the city Municipal Operations Center.
Community Services Officer Vans
Two Chevrolet Astro vans are driven by community services officers, and contain equipment needed to process crime scenes, including cameras, fingerprint collection kits, tool kits, evidence bags and casting equipment.
Unmarked Cars
Unmarked cars are used by detectives and administrative personnel. These vehicles carry standard safety equipment (radio, flares, fire extinguisher and first aid kit). Some also have emergency lights and sirens.
Motorcycles
For traffic enforcement, the department maintains five Harley Davidson patrol motorcycles.
Trailers
An evidence equipment trailer, which is towed by another vehicle, carries additional evidence collection equipment and supplies.
Two mobile radar trailers are used for tracking speed limits around town. Another trailer is used to tow Officer PAL, a robotic police officer that is used in presentations to children.
A driver training trailer carries equipment for driver training exercises, such as cones, barriers and signs.
Parking Enforcement Vehicle
We use a Cushman zero-emissions electric cart (technically a motorcycle) for routine parking enforcement.
Supervisor Cars
Four Chevy Tahoe SUVs are driven by patrol supervisors. Since a supervisor goes to all major incidents, these vehicles are stocked with special-purpose emergency equipment, such as defibrillators, gas masks, ladders and riot gear. These SUVs can also be used as mini mobile police stations.
CIOG (SWAT) Vehicles
A large CIOG van is used to transport the SWAT team to critical incidents.
Mobile Command Vehicle
The department owns a bus-sized van for use at major incidents, where it can serve as a mobile command post. When available, it's also used at community and educational events.
Passenger Vans
MVPD school resource officers use a Chevy passenger van to take children to school, activities and events, including Dreams & Futures and Police Explorers.
Our current patrol car.
Patrol Vehicles
Mountain View officers drive black-and-white Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor patrol cars. The patrol fleet also includes bicycles used for special events and parks patrol.
K9 Vehicles
We have three specially-equipped patrol sedans to accommodate our canine partners. These vehicles have a platform to keep our dogs comfortable on patrol, as well as painted markings to alert pedestrians that a police canine is inside. The cars also carry training equipment used by our dogs and police handlers.
Equipment in Patrol Vehicles
Our patrol cars utilize 10-channel UHF 3-way transceiver radios. Officers can talk to dispatch and other officers, in Mountain View as well as neighboring cities. Special channels also support non-urgent communications, so that lower priority radio traffic doesn't interfere with urgent messages.
Patrol vehicles carry touch-screen PCs, similar to laptops. On a wireless network, these can be used to communicate with police administration, dispatch and other officers. Using a PC instead of a radio preserves air time for more urgent matters. Also, officers can obtain information, such as drivers license records, DMV information, restraining orders and warrants.
A lights-and-sirens control unit allows officers to produce an assortment of audible warning sounds and flashing lights. The light bars on top of vehicles also have rear-facing directional arrows, which allow the cars to be used to direct traffic to the left or the right. Traffic signal activators can assist an officer in reaching an emergency by altering normal traffic light delays. Spotlights, mounted on the front of patrol cars near the windshield, are used for scanning house numbers and illuminating suspects or scenes.
All cars carry first aid kits, flares, fire extinguishers and traffic cones. Some also carry AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators), for cardiac emergencies. Some patrol cars have a Lojack system that locates stolen cars that are equipped with Lojack theft-deterrent devices.
Patrol vehicles feature a Plexiglas® and wire mesh divider between the front and back seats. Though it has a small window opening, it can be completely sealed to protect officers from violent offenders. Rear doors can be opened only from the outside. Rear windows can't be opened at all. Upholstered rear seats are removed for ease of cleaning and to prevent suspects from concealing evidence. |
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