Miami police “Batmobile” aims to break barriers
The Miami Police Department has a new set of wheels- three to be exact.
The sleek white and black three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot “autocycle” is equipped with police lights and a siren.
Polaris Slingshot donated the roadster to the police department, and Whelen Engineering provided the emergency equipment. The vehicle was customized by Miami auto designer Alex Vega, whose Kendall shop The Auto Firm donated the Avorza Rims.
The unveiling took place Thursday afternoon at Miami City Hall.
The Slingshot, which bears a striking resemblance to Batman’s “Batmobile,” will be used as a promotional tool in the community.
“This car is beautiful. The car is perfect,” Miami police chief Jorge Colina said during the presentation, which was broadcast on Facebook Live. “This is going to be an icebreaker for us. Kids are going to want to walk up to the car, see it, sit in it and talk to the policeman.”
Added Miami mayor Francis Suarez, “There is often, at times in many of our neighborhoods, an antagonistic relationship between the police department and the kids of our community. We are trying to break down those barriers.”
The Slingshot is not the only one-of-a-kind vehicle at the police department. Last month, the department tricked out a decommissioned patrol car with a colorful graffiti-inspired makeover for community events in Wynwood. That vehicle is also being used in community relations in the artsy district.
