The patrol vehicles used by the Plano Police Department must meet strict safety and performance guidelines. Currently there are few vehicle model options available that meet these criteria. In the past, the Department has evaluated and purchased several different vehicle models such as the Ford Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Charger and the Chevrolet Tahoe. Of these vehicles, the Chevrolet Tahoe was found to offer the best overall solution for our patrol needs:

• Higher residual resale value:
  (In 2010, a fleet auction was conducted and two 2005 Chevrolet Tahoes with approximately 100,000 miles were sold for an average of $7,500 each. In comparison, two 2005 Ford Crown Victorias with approximately 90,000 miles were sold for an average of $2,900 each.)
• Purchase price of a new Chevrolet Tahoe is comparable to a Ford Crown Victoria:
  (Tahoe = $24,878.00; Crown Victoria = $22,569.20)
• Extended service longevity
• Extended warranty (100K miles)
• Flex Fuel (E85) compatibility
• Mileage ratings (comparable to the Ford Crown Victoria)
• Higher ground clearance resulting in less undercarriage damage
• Climate-controlled cabin to protect electronic equipment eliminating damage due to extreme temperatures (often found in the trunks of sedan-style vehicles)
• Much needed additional cargo space for police equipment
• Larger front seating area to accomodate taller drivers and passengers and additional space in the rear seating area for prisoners
• Larger front cabin area that allows for safe mounting of specialized equipment outside of the air bag deployment zones
• Operating costs for the Chevrolet Tahoe are lower than the Ford Crown Victoria:
  
  

  Vehicle Type	Miles Per Gallon	Fuel Cost Per Mile	Maintenance Cost Per Mile	Total Cost Per Mile
  Ford Crown Victoria (2006)	9.97	$0.28	$0.02	$0.41
  Chevrolet Tahoe (2007)	9.35	$0.25	$0.02	$0.37

A special “Fuel Conservation Task Force”, comprised of personnel from several different units within the Police Department, recently convened to discuss options for reducing fuel consumption and lowering our total carbon footprint. As a result of this meeting, it was decided that the non-patrol fleet will be replaced with Toyota Corolla vehicles.

In addition, a fuel-saving campaign has been initiated to promote fuel conservation by all Police Department employees, and our policies have been carefully examined and revised to eliminate any unnecessary travel in city-owned vehicles. Plans have also been made to purchase and evaluate five idle-reduction units for use in the patrol Tahoes. These devices are intended to allow for emergency equipment in patrol vehicles to remain powered-up while the engine is turned off, in an effort to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption during extended police operations.

Prior to the purchase of this vehicle, Plano Police Officers were surveyed and after careful consideration, the Plano Police Department chose the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe as our preferred patrol vehicle. After taking all factors into consideration, we feel that the Chevrolet Tahoe is the best vehicle to suit our needs.