Because of its speed it is safer!!!!!! Article from the Sheffield Star

[Steve Panas]

Police Evo-lution fast way to beat crime


High performance: The Mitzubishi Lancer Evo 10 can reach speeds of 150mph and outperform most other cars Pictures: Dennis Lound

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By Claire Lewis
Crime reporter
Criminals beware - a super fast car more at home on a racetrack has been unveiled by police in South Yorkshire as the latest weapon in the fight against crime.
IT can reach speeds of 150mph, out-performing most other cars on the roads a making it virtually impossible for villains to evade capture.

Police chiefs have added the Mitzubishi Lancer Evo 10 to their road crime unit - boosting an already impressive fleet of earlier edition Evos.

And its reputation is going before it, with some drivers being followed by the car pulling over as soon as they see it in their rear mirror.

Inspector Simon Slack, head of South Yorkshire Police's the road crime unit, said criminals have told them there is no point trying to outrun the car.

"We have had a lot of people we have stopped tell us that they thought about trying to do a runner but saw what car we were in and realised there was no point - we can reach speeds of 150mph, nothing is going to get away from us," he said.

Like all Evos the car is fitted with state-of-the-art number plate recognition technology, registering every car which passes and detecting those of interest to the police, such as stolen cars and vehicles known to be used by criminals and suspects.

It also boasts video recording equipment, a tracking system and the latest communication technology.

The road crime unit was set up three years ago and has proved a huge success in identifying and capturing criminals.

In October and November alone it was responsible for 64 arrests and the recovery of 35 stolen vehicles, valued at £225,00.

Operations carried out by the unit has led to the seizure of a further 236 vehicles for having no insurance and stopping cars led to the discovery of crack cocaine worth £18,000.

And earlier this month amphetamine worth £50,000 was found in another car stopped by the team.

Insp Slack said the fast car is a huge asset to the team - with all the Evos working together "as a pack", blitzing an area in pre-planned operations to making it impossible for criminals and suspects to escape.

He said its speed is one of its greatest plus points.

"The beauty of the car is its performance - the speed it can reach, its acceleration rate and its grip on the road," he said.

"Criminals are using really nice fast cars these days so we need to stay one step ahead of them to avoid them getting away.

"The Evo has a reputation as being fiercely quick and when they are in our hands and working together as a team it sends out a strong message to criminals that they will not get away,

"Our unit was set up because all criminals use the roads and that is when they are most vulnerable."

He said because of its speed the car is safer than any others in police pursuits.

For example, if a criminal is trying to escape, officers can slow down when going through red traffic lights or pulling out of junctions, knowing their car has the ability to speed up again and catch the suspect's vehicle in no time - and avoid putting other road users at risk.

The car is also fitted with a carbon fibre roll cage - making it more robust than normal cars if criminals are boxed in by the Evos and try to force their way out.

Other cars may have ended up with damaged bodywork, but the Evo is designed to withstand impacts.

The beauty of the Evo is they are instantly recognisable to road users and criminals know there is no escape.

But Insp Slack warned - the unit also has unmarked high performance cars in its fleet as well as motorbikes which can also reach a top speed of 150mph.

He added: "We want to deny criminals the use of the road. They all travel but so do we and we are out there watching and waiting and ready to act."

*We drive the Evo in Motors Today on Friday

[Frank Barnard]

What happens if the villains are driving an Evo also?

[Derek Coghill]

L&B had one a few years ago, but it got taken away after it want past the chief's car at speed with all lights blazing....going back to base for a tea break.

[Trevor Williams]

What happens if the crims have an Evo? You've got a rally!!!!  ;D

[David Bain]

I'm just pleased to know that the income from our local revenue traps is being spent so wisely. After all, if they hadn't bought all these Evos they might have been tempted to staff the traffic department properly.