Police look to trade 'gas hogs' for fuel-efficient fleet

— -- Last year at this time, Mike Cochran, assistant chief of the Lauderhill, Fla., police department, was driving a Ford Crown Victoria cruiser that he says got about 14 miles per gallon.

Now, as municipalities count every penny amid the economic crisis, he drives a four-cylinder Chevrolet Malibu that, according the Environmental Protection Agency, gets about 30 mpg on the highway.

"We started trying to segue away from the gas hogs," Cochran said. "When we can, and where we can, we are trying to put officers in more fuel-efficient vehicles."

A growing number of law enforcement agencies across the USA also are chasing better fuel economy:

• The New York City Police Department has about 100 hybrid vehicles in its 5,800-vehicle fleet, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said. The vehicles include Toyota Priuses driven by officers who issue parking tickets, he said. Also in the city's fleet are hybrid Honda Accords, GMC Yukons and Ford Escapes, he said.

• Seattle police now have 38 hybrids, including Toyota Highlanders, Ford Escapes and Toyota Priuses, according to Bob Miller, the department's fleet analyst. Administrators and detectives use the vehicles.

• The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Department in Louisiana will soon be driving some Nissan Sentras, which get about 35 mpg. The cars will be used by officers who serve court papers, according to Maj. Richard Williams, the department's fleet operations officer.

Traditionally, police agencies sought cars with powerful engines, strong suspensions and back seats big enough to haul away criminals. The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, long the backbone of police fleets nationwide, is still the "the police car of choice, with 80% of the market," said Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis.

Those requirements stand, but escalating gas prices have forced police managers to pay closer attention to fuel economy.

In Pennsylvania, the Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department recently added three V-6 Dodge Chargers to its fleet.