Ford doesn’t offer a police package Mustang any longer, but that didn’t stop the city of Springdale, South Carolina, from outfitting an ’08 GT as a police cruiser.
But instead of using the GT’s power to catch speeders, the Springdale Police Department utilizes the Mustang’s appeal to reach out to local kids.
The GT was ordered specifically for Officer Tracie Goodwin, SPD’s victim advocate/school resource officer. "Officer Goodwin works at our elementary school," says Capt. Charlie Smith. "She believes in reaching kids at an early age to develop a bond and relationship instead of them growing up to mistrust and fear the police. Each year, she adopts underprivileged families from the school and on her own raises money to purchase clothes, gifts, and food to help these families celebrate Christmas."
The Mustang is a hit with both the kids and the community. Capt. Smith added, "One of the parents, Edwin Crawford, who owns Crawdaddy’s Customs, offered to ‘spruce up’ the Mustang at no charge to show his appreciation for Officer Goodwin." The work was mainly cosmetic, although Capt. Smith admits he was tempted to add performance. "I’m a car nut so I would love to have a supercharger. However, I couldn’t take a chance on voiding the factory warranty."