York Co. Sheriff’s Office still testing new patrol vehicles

Andrew Kiel | WRHI.com

The new Ford Interceptor models were a dozen of the 20 new vehicles approved for purchase Monday by York County Council through the county’s vehicle replacement fund. The first round of the Interceptor fleet was rolled out in June.

While other large police departments across York County have already set their sights on a replacement for the tried-and-true Ford Crown Victoria, York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant said evaluations of the new fleet of vehicles is still an ongoing process.

“We had no choice. The Crown Vic [sic] is no longer available to law enforcement. Right now, we’re still in a testing process trying to figure what kind of car would better suit York County Sheriff’s Deputies,” Bryant said.

Ford discontinued its Crown Victoria Police Interceptor model in 2011, sparking police departments across the country to look into new options for their fleets.

In Rock Hill, a majority of officers on patrol drive the Chevrolet Tahoe while detectives drive the Chevrolet Impala. Top department officials drive the Chevrolet Caprice.

In York, police and city officials selected the Tahoe as the sole vehicle of choice while the S.C. Highway Patrol employs the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Interceptor and Chevrolet Caprice.

Among the other eight vehicles chosen for replacement Monday include four Ford Interceptor SUVs for use by supervisors, three Ford Utility Interceptors for use by a shift lieutenant, a detective and a Captain; and a half-ton crew cab for use by the Sheriff’s Narcotics division.

“These vehicles are built specifically for law enforcement…We’re going to look at a number of them and see what is a better fit for us,” Bryant said.

Department vehicles are retired at 150,000 miles and later sold at the county’s annual auction.

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