YUMA, Ariz. -- The hot new design showing up on new Yuma police vehicles is destined to be used on Hot Wheels toy vehicles to be released next year by toy maker Mattel.
In 2012, Mattel will be producing a line of its toy vehicle replicas to honor hometown heroes.
Fifteen law enforcement agencies from across the country have been selected to have their patrol vehicles replicated as Hot Wheels vehicles. Yuma Police Department is among them.
Yuma Police Department Chief Jerry Geier said he received a phone call a couple of months ago from Mattel asking if the city was interested in participating. It was an easy question to answer.
"What a great idea," Geier said. "What a nice way to showcase the police department and the city of Yuma. Our graphics will be on toy cars throughout the country. Parents and children will know our city is out there."
Geier also confessed he has fond memories of playing with Hot Wheels cars as a boy.
The toy cars will bear the new Yuma Police Department squad car graphics that were unveiled a year ago.
The new design replaces the one that had been used on Yuma Police Department vehicles since the early 1970s.
"Our patrol fleet had the previous design for a number of years, and it was time to modernize and upgrade," Geier said in an earlier interview with the Yuma Sun.
The new design keeps the familiar black, blue and white colors, but does away with the solid blue stripe, replacing it with two swoosh streaks. To increase its visibility, the new design also incorporates the word "police" in large black lettering across the side of the vehicle.
In addition to keeping the city logo, which is also a patch officers wear on their uniforms, the new design includes the police department's motto, "Committed to Excellence," along the rear quarter panel.
The graphic includes the city's website address along the back bumper. The Yuma Police Department's website can be accessed through the city's site.
Eventually all vehicles in the fleet will have the new design. However, to avoid incurring additional costs, the new design package will only be put on vehicles as they are purchased.
About half a dozen vehicles now sport the new design, Geier said. Among them are two SUVs that Yuma Police purchased with federal grant money about six months ago that are used to police for impaired driving.
Through an agreement expected to be approved by the Yuma City Council, Mattel is granted a license to use the designs, emblems, official insignia, logos and likenesses of the Yuma Police Department vehicles, including accessories and paint schemes and other identifying representations, for its toy cars and in marketing. The license is good until Dec. 31, 2013, and can be renewed.
In consideration, Mattel will provide Yuma Police Department with several of the toy cars that can be given out to children and used for other purposes, Geier said.
Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com
