New windshields on Manassas vehicles combat police impersonators

Submitted:

“Police officers in Manassas City installed a new windshield on Thursday that will help combat police impersonations within the city. The windshield; created by DeAndre McKenzie of Woodbridge, will give citizens the safety and security of knowing they are being pulled over by an actual police officer.

The Smartshield is used as a verification method that the vehicle is an actual law enforcement vehicle. This windshield offers a more secure relationship between the officer and the citizen in a routine traffic stop. Citizens will now know that they are safely being pulled over, without the need to drive to a lit area or call 911 for help. The hope is that this windshield will become the solution to the rapidly growing problem of police impersonation.”

The Manassas City Police Department installed two windshields — one on a patrol car and another on a vehicle in its investigations unit.

From Manassas police spokeswoman Adrienne Helms: 

“The purpose of installing them is two-fold: to enhance officer visibility and safety when navigating traffic en route to an emergency or when pulling someone over, and to serve as a reassurance for drivers that they are in fact being pulled over by Police. The latter was done as a preventative measure, however, and not in response to any specific case or a trend.

The first [windshield] we purchased for $750, and it was installed in a new [Ford] Taurus back on Nov 23, 2016. The second, on PD76, one of our marked [Cheverolet] Tahoes, got one installed for free just last week.”