Department picks up 20 new SUVs

PLANO -- Chevrolet Tahoes have been the primary patrol vehicle for Plano police officers for the past five years.

With some of the vehicles beginning to wear out, the city council recently authorized the purchase of 20 new Tahoes for the department at a cost of $538,680. The money comes from the equipment replacement fund in the 2011-2012 budget.

"We look at three things when we are determining which vehicles need to be replaced," said Reid Choate, the fleet services manager for the city. "Those are the vehicle's age, mileage and maintenance costs. We are replacing 20 Tahoes this year."

Officer David Tilley said that in 2008 the department tested four models of vehicles before settling on the Tahoe, which replaced the Ford Crown Victoria. The sedan is no longer made, but for years it was the standard for officers across the country. The other two vehicles in the test were the Dodge Charger and the Chevrolet Impala, with some of the test vehicles still being in service in the department, Tilley said.

Tahoes and other large sports utility vehicles are often criticized for getting poor gas mileage, especially in stop-and-go city driving such as that done by police officers. A document provided by the department shows that the Crown Victorias used by officers got about 10 mpg. Choate said that in the past 12 months, Tahoes used by the department -- ranging from 2007 models to 2011 models -- got 9.66 mpg. The Tahoes also cost about the same to maintain as the Crown Victorias the department previously used, have more than twice the resale value and cost only $3,000 more per vehicle.

Tilley said the added benefits the Tahoe provided made it the right vehicle for the department.

"One of the big deals was the 100,000 mile extended warranty," he said. "At the time, we were using Crown Victorias and they didn't have that long of a warranty. The Tahoes also offer a lot of additional cargo space and help the officers carry extra equipment."

The extra cargo space can cut down on police response time since some patrol officers double as members of the department's S.W.A.T. team. Tilley said those officers are able to carry their tactical gear inside their vehicles, so the officers can respond immediately when the team is called into action rather than having to return to their station to grab their equipment.

The climate-controlled cargo space in the Tahoes also helps cut down on the department's maintenance costs.

"When we used sedans, a lot of our computer equipment was kept in the trunk since there was no room inside the cabin, and you obviously couldn't keep it in the backseat," Tilley said. "In July and August in Texas, it gets so hot that the electrical equipment would overheat and need to be repaired. With the Tahoes, we have a space in the cargo area, allowing the electronics to remain in the air conditioning."

With the purchase, only $21,320 remains in the equipment replacement fund, which will be used for other fleet and equipment purchases.

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