TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa’s Police Department is set to receive the first batch of electric patrol vehicles, with a $1 million federal grant secured by U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
The city will purchase up to 13 new electric police vehicles.
According to the City of Tampa, this investment will reduce the department’s carbon footprint and pave the way for a more sustainable future for Tampa’s public safety sector.
According to the city, with Tampa police driving millions of miles each year, the transition to electric vehicles will significantly reduce emissions and fuel costs.
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“This initiative is just one of many we are excited and proud to implement in our city as we move toward a more sustainable future,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “We must take action in order to reach our environmental goals, but we would not be able to pursue many of these initiatives without support from our elected officials, like U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. We are immensely grateful for these valuable federal dollars that will help us reduce our carbon footprint, improve air quality, and reduce fuel costs to taxpayers.”
Tampa’s public safety divisions, including the Tampa Police Department and Tampa Fire Rescue, produce a combined 7,500 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. To put this into context, the consumption of about 850,000 gallons of gasoline would produce the same CO2 emissions.
While neither agency currently has energy-efficient vehicles, other city departments have transitioned a percentage of their fleet to electric or hybrid models. In total, the City of Tampa has 272 alternative fuel vehicles, accounting for 13.4% of its fleet.
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“We are thankful for the support of elected officials, like U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, who work with the Tampa Police Department to find ways of enhancing public safety through improved technology and equipment,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “We are excited to add these new electric vehicles to our fleet, providing another method of driving forward in our mission of making our city safer together.”
Over the next few weeks, the department will work on identifying the make and model that best suits its needs. When the electric police vehicles will arrive in Tampa will depend on availability and other factors, but the City of Tampa is eager to welcome the new additions as soon as possible.
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