Anti-Drug Message Delivered in Style

Police in other towns make do with clunky, recycled squad cars--or drive their own beat-up family cars.

But officers in Beverly Hills travel first class when they take their anti-drug message to youngsters in classrooms.

Authorities on Wednesday rolled out an imported luxury sport utility vehicle that they will drive, starting today, to Drug Abuse Resistance Education assignments at five local schools.

The new, $50,000 British-made Land Rover was donated by a car dealer. It replaces an older-model Land Rover that was retired after three years--with 7,000 miles on its odometer.

The new vehicle features automatic hill descent control and a built-in compass for use in the city’s hilly northern section. It is also equipped with a hand-embroidered custom American flag hood cover--just in case officers have to order any suspects to go spread-eagle over the engine compartment.

The words “Beverly Hills Police” are spelled out in genuine gold-leaf paint on the doors.

“This has dual sun roofs, heated seats, a CD player” and a head-spinning list of other accessories, along with the regular flashing lights, siren and other police gear, said Officer Carlos Pinho, who was last year’s DARE instructor.

Officer Jeff Sweet, currently on DARE duty, pledged that any suspects placed in the back of the Land Rover will be admonished not to soil its rich leather upholstery.

But it’s unlikely it will ever carry that kind of passenger.

“We sometimes give kids rides around the school,” but that’s about it, Sweet said. “We drive it right on the school field and let them look at it.”

Having a high-profile vehicle that fifth- and eighth-graders in the DARE program can relate to is important, he said, adding: “You have to go the extra step to show kids that this program is important to them.”

The Land Rover fits in with Beverly Hills’ adults too. “Mostly everyone here drives SUVs”--or even fancier cars, said Officer Rachel Shannon. The Beverly Hills department has begun converting its patrol car fleet from Chevrolet Caprice sedans to taller Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs, she said.

Wednesday’s donation was made by Hornburg Jaguar/Land Rover. Dealership sales manager Alex Bologna admitted that the vehicle will never patrol his car lot, however. That’s because the business is just outside the Beverly Hills city limits--in West Hollywood.

That point was duly noted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials, who have their own anti-drug program in West Hollywood schools. It’s called Success Through Awareness & Resistance, or STAR.

Program head Lt. Trudy Wilson said her department would welcome any Land Rover donation. Her deputies drive their own personal automobiles to their STAR assignments.

Beverly Hills officers, meantime, said they are braced for double-takes.

“Tourists stop and take pictures of it. People come up and say, ‘Only the best in Beverly Hills,’ ” said Sweet, who has taken the new four-wheel-drive SUV on test runs through the city.

Officers predicted that the new Land Rover--just like the old one--will remain a low-mileage vehicle. Good thing, too. It gets only 13 miles a gallon.