Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have become more common, and public agencies are using them to document traffic accidents and crime scenes as well as help with fires, hazmat calls, and urban search and rescue.
The St. George (Utah) Police Department is spending $1.6 million to lease 35 Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles over a four-year term to replace its fleet of aging patrol cruisers.
Ford will offer a special service F-150 truck to law enforcement agencies for the 2016 model year that will compete with existing special service trucks from Chevrolet and Ram Truck. Ford will also offer a special service Expedition large SUV.
The Saginaw County (Mich.) Sheriff's Department has equipped its 32 patrol vehicles with retro beacon lights that use brighter LED lighting to increase visibility.
Ford will offer a factory interior visor light for its Police Interceptor Utility for agencies looking to use a more stealthy version of its police SUV for the 2017 model year.