Shrewsbury's New Muscle

When it came time to shop for a couple of new cruisers, the Department decided to go with a bit of muscle.

Earlier this year, two new Dodge Chargers joined the department's aging fleet of cruisers, adding some contrast - and style - to its ranks, while maintaining the functionality of its previous rides.

Since their acquisition the Chargers have been the favorite patrol vehicles for most of the department's officers, Lt. Lou Ferraro said, even him, though he doesn't get out on the road as often as he'd like anymore.

The Charger is a departure from the department's standard look, too, ditching the the classic police car white and Shrewsbury police logo and replacing it with a gun-metal gray and black finish.

It's also received upgrades that should help police in their regular duties. Councilman Tom Menapace, liaison to the police department, said the rides have been retrofitted for license plate recognition, or LPR, cameras that automatically scan the license plates of vehicles in 360 degrees surrounding the vehicle during patrols.