Park Police Put Hybrid Vehicles Into Service

There are seemingly a lot of low level grumblings over the value of hybrids in policing, but they are here, and will remain. I can see a number of advantages to them, primarily in low-speed urban work, where the stop and go lugging and heat can just destroy a big engine and wreck transmissions. And for staff, admin, and detective cars, they may be great. It'll be a couple years before anyone knows if they cut it from an economic standpoint, with the higher initial cost and unknown fleet maintenance costs, but it's worth a try.

I'm really looking forward to driving one, and want to see how the acceleration and torque curves play out.  I also have to think that the load of batteries is going to make handling a little different.

We also need to learn how to approach and work around hybrids that have been involved in crashes. There is a long history of cutting battery cables that we will need to rethink.
















A Park Police Ford Escape hybrid. USPP photo

I gave some thought to the hybrid Tahoe and GMC pickup a couple years ago. After I saw the price, I took my thought back.

"Recognizing President Obama’s commitment to environmental improvement and to diminishing global warming, the United States Park Police have placed hybrid vehicles in service. The vehicles, which substantially improve fuel economy, are being used for patrols in city areas and for administrative use. 

 Both Ford Fusion and Ford Escape hybrids are being employed. Several of these vehicles are marked for patrol, while others that are unmarked are used by administrative staff and criminal investigators or by officers on traffic safety assignments.

The United States Park Police firmly believes in the NPS mission of preservation of our nation’s cultural and natural resources and is pleased to move forward with emerging technologies to this goal."