The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is steering its fleet into the future with a substantial addition of over 300 new vehicles, a move that Sheriff Robert Luna says is part of a broader initiative to modernize the department's resources, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The upgrade, featuring 280 new SUVs, 10 Ford F-150 'Responder' trucks, and a number of electric vehicle pilot projects, aims to replace outdated and high-mileage patrol cars that have been a growing concern due to elevated maintenance costs and safety issues.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Luna highlighted that out of the nearly 2,000 patrol vehicles currently in use, over half are more than eight years old or have clocked over 100,000 miles, some still being the old but venerable Crown Victorias; the department answered over 434,000 service calls just this past half-year, these vehicles are critical for daily operations and community safety.
"Recent updates include 20 new court services transportation buses that have reduced inmates missing court from more than 1,000 to an average of three per week. Fourteen additional buses are on order for 2025, and EV options are being evaluated,'' Sheriff's officials told NBC Los Angeles. Additionally, the LASD is testing the waters with electric vehicles, with seven all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and 13 Ford Mach-E units being introduced to the department's non-emergency fleet.
The changes to the fleet reflect a commitment to innovation and sustainability with some of the new SUVs being hybrids and options for all-electric vehicles being actively explored, the department is also keeping an eye toward future enhancements such as ballistic glass for added safety, meanwhile, Detective Kyle Andersen expressed a sentiment of attentiveness to the needs of the field, saying, "Our guys that put the cars together really thought about the deputies and made sure we have the features needed to do the job every day," as he spoke with NBC Los Angeles.
