An Alabama police department just got 10 new hybrid police cars in a $675,000 upgrade

The city of Irondale is upgrading its law enforcement fleet with a significant investment in modern technology. Serving a community of approximately 13,500 residents, the Irondale Police Department recently rolled out ten new hybrid police vehicles, totaling $675,000.

Strategic Fleet Investment

This upgrade represents a total investment of $67,500 per vehicle. To avoid the slow, incremental process of replacing individual cars as budgets allow, the city utilized a municipal lease to modernize its fleet all at once. Of the ten new arrivals, six are designated for standard patrol duties, while the remaining four are assigned to the school resource officer (SRO) unit.

“We always want to make sure we provide our officers with the best equipment so they can do an effective and efficient job every single day, and we want them in vehicles that are safe,” said Mayor James Stewart. “Our patrol unit is the backbone of any city. Those officers are out in our neighborhoods keeping our people safe, and they should not be doing it in dated vehicles with excessive miles.”

Sustainability and Efficiency

In addition to the fleet expansion, Irondale leadership is implementing a new capital replacement program. Moving forward, the department will cycle out vehicles every five years or once they reach 100,000 miles, creating a predictable annual budget line item. As part of this transition, two older retired vehicles have already been donated to other municipalities.

Irondale Police Chief Paul Kellogg expressed enthusiasm for the move, noting both the safety benefits and the long-term cost savings. “The hybrids are also going to be a real savings on fuel. With everything happening in the economy right now and what it’s doing to gas prices, that matters to this department and it matters to our citizens,” Kellogg said.

Building Community Connections

Beyond efficiency, the new vehicles are intended to bridge the gap between officers and the community. The four cruisers assigned to the SRO unit will feature custom artwork designed by local students. Irondale is currently hosting art contests at all four local schools, with the winning designs set to be wrapped onto the vehicles.

City officials believe the initiative will foster trust between students and law enforcement. “The point isn’t decoration,” the city stated. “Irondale’s SRO program exists so that officers are a familiar presence in the building long before anything goes wrong. A cruiser wearing a design the students made themselves is one more reason for a child to walk up and start a conversation.”