[fixedd]

>...I think it would be kind of embarassing for a town if they couldn't get a robust all terrain vehicle to some location within a reasonable timeframe.

When I went to high school in this general area (15+ years ago) they used run-of-the-mill SUVs just fine.

[CWuestefeld]

What is it with police and SUVs, anyway? What police function is best served by an SUV rather than a sedan? The primary use cases for police automobiles are (off the top of my head): A) get to a disturbance quickly; B) intercept traffic violators; C) transport prisoners. Except in really exceptional rural areas, none of these will be enhanced by SUVs, and in general, those SUVs perform these functions worse. In particular, they're bad at moving fast and maneuvering, which is required for (A) and (B).

Several years back, near where I lived in NJ, there was a police officer killed on duty. He was reacting to a complaint about drag racing - while he was driving an SUV. He attempted to pursue one of the drag racers, and rolled over his vehicle. Trying to chase a drag racer while you're in an SUV is stupid.