Kentucky State Police purchases new fleet of vehicles

LEXINGTON - The fleet of Kentucky State Police vehicles will get a new look this summer as the cruisers that patrol the Commonwealth’s streets are transitioning from a Ford model to a Chevrolet body.

KSP is replacing its Ford Crown Victoria cruisers with 2012 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicles, or PPVs. The Crown Victoria is being discontinued after decades of being the main police vehicle for many departments across the country. The current KSP fleet includes Crown Victorias produced between 2004 and 2010.

The department has purchased 125 of the new police vehicles, including 100 gray cars and 25 in tan that will be used in its Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.

The Caprice is a full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan that is manufactured with law enforcement officers in mind. It has a six-liter, V-8 engine that produces 355 horsepower.

“Our current fleet is subject to a rigorous maintenance schedule designed to extend the working life of each vehicle as much as possible,” KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer said. “However, law enforcement applications are extremely hard on vehicles. To ensure that our officers can continue to respond to public needs in a safe and effective way, we’ll be updating our fleet on a soft conversion basis as current vehicles wear out beyond repair and as funding becomes available.”

KSP Trooper Michael Webb said the department paid $25,400 per vehicle. That adds up to almost $3.2 million for the new fleet.