UB Police Win International Car Design Contest Award

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo Police have won a first-place prize in the 2007 International Police Vehicle Design Contest sponsored by Law & Order magazine.

Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., UB chief of police, said that the university was one of 150 entrants in the contest and won first prize in the state and federal agency category.

The UB Police became involved in the contest after Schoenle formed a review committee last year to decide which car model the department should use, as well as the cars' graphic design.

With input from other members of the department, the committee came up with the winning design, according to Investigator Donald S. Kreger, who entered the design in the Law & Order contest this spring.

"They decided on this design and on using Dodge Chargers," Kreger said, adding that UB Officer Joshua B. Sticht developed the design.

Schoenle called the award "a nice recognition for our department.

"We are very proud of our police vehicles and the design that our officers have chosen," Schoenle said. "I think it is critical to have the rank-and-file members of an agency involved in such decisions."

The current (August) issue of Law & Order includes a feature on the contest winners, as well as photos of the winning vehicles and judges' comments. Each winning agency receives a commemorative plaque and chooses a charity to receive its prize money.

UB will donate its prize money to First Candle/SIDS Alliance, a national nonprofit health organization, as a tribute to UB Officer Timothy Pray, who recently lost his newborn son, Timothy Jacob Pray, to SIDS.

"First Candle also will be the beneficiary from our department's annual golf tournament this year," Kreger said.