This year brought new challenges and opportunities for police fleets across America. From Michigan State Police's annual vehicle testing, to police tires and all-electric police cars, Government Fleet covered it.
As 2024 reaches its end-of-watch, we're gathering the top 10 most viewed news stories and articles from the year.
1. Pennsylvania State Police Changes Patrol Vehicle Color for Added Visibility
Small changes can make a big impact. And for law enforcement officers, safety is paramount. We shared about a new color scheme Pennsylvania State Police rolled out to make troopers more visible to motorists, both for the protection of troopers and the public.
2. Michigan State Police 2025 Vehicle Testing Results
Every year, Michigan State Police tests the law enforcement vehicle lineup from OEMs. Can the vehicles do what automakers say they can do? See how the latest lineup of police cars performed.
3. Fit to Serve: Weighing Outsourced and In-House Police Vehicle Upfitting
Is it better to outsource police vehicle upfitting, or get it all done in-house? We looked at considerations to take when making your decision, and spoke to agencies doing a bit of both. Plus, we gained insights from a professional police car upfitter.
4. Dozens of Patrol Vehicles Out of Service for Indiana State Police
There's nothing more frustrating than getting a brand new fleet of vehicles, only for them to have maintenance issues right away. We shared about issues one agency had after getting their new fleet, plus reached out to the automaker for their response.
5. How to Care for Police Tires
Despite being one of the most important parts of a vehicle, tires are often the most neglected. When it comes to law enforcement, tire care is even more important because of the stresses officers put on their vehicles for their work. We identified proper tire care tips, and offered guidance on choosing the right tire for your agency.
6. Order Banks for Updated 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Now Open
Public sector fleet managers always await the opening of order banks to get their fleet orders in. Ford Pro announced its Police Interceptor Utility was shipping in August. We shared about new features the automaker made standard on its best-selling police car.
7. California PD Rolls Out Nation's First All-Electric Police Fleet
The South Pasadena, California, Police Department made national headlines when it became the first police department in the country to completely replace its gasoline-powered vehicles with electric ones. We spoke to department officials to ask about the switch, plus ways they overcame obstacles during the transition.
8. Are Pursuit-Rated Vehicles Still Necessary?
Police departments are under pressure to reevaluate their pursuit policies. If they disallow pursuits entirely, are pursuit-rated vehicles still needed? We spoke to experts about what the term 'pursuit-rated' really means, and OEM reps answered questions about their vehicles they've given the moniker to.
9. When Blue Goes Green: Police Hybrids vs. EVs
Making use of electric- and hybrid-powered vehicles for law enforcement is intriguing. Hear the good, the bad, and the ugly from people who chose to be guinea pigs, testing the alt-powered technology.
10. How to Create a Law Enforcement Motorcycle Replacement Standard
When we've spoken with government fleet managers about their law enforcement motorcycle use, their approach to creating a replacement standard to keep them in top shape varied widely. We broke down factors to consider when coming up with your agency's replacement standard, and identified where fleet data can come into play.
