The Rogers City Council approved Tuesday (Jan. 28) to use $159,779 to buy four Chevy Tahoes from Nunnally Chevrolet for its police force. They also authorized the police department to get auction off six of its Ford Crown Victorias.
"We've moved away from the classic black and whites," said Keith Foster with the Rogers Police Department. "This will be who we are now."
The Tahoes are white with blue lettering.
Foster said they'll install technology upgrades. For example, they're moving away from laptop computers to Panasonic notebook. They will also have LED light bars powered by solar panels.
"They get very similar gas millage to the Crown Victorias," Foster said. "The cost is very similar so to us we're getting an upgraded vehicle for about the same cost."
The Rogers Police Department isn't the only one making the switch from cars to SUVs. The Benton County Sheriff's Office bought 10 Tahoes in 2013 and are waiting to receive 13 Tahoes.
"They've been ordered and paid for," said Keshia Guyll, with the Benton County Sheriff's Office. "We're just waiting for them to come in so that we can out fit them with our equipment and our lights and cameras."
The Tahoes are black, which is a move away from the white Chargers. Guyll said the goal is to get rid of all of the Chargers.
Chevy Tahoes have more space for law enforcement equipment and have higher crash ratings. The new SUVs will cost about $470,000 with all the equipment installed.
"We just feel like they are a better fit for us, being a county deputy sometimes you are an hour and a half out from the office so there's a lot of equipment that you have to carry with you," Guyll said. "It's just a little bit bigger for the equipment that we need."
Both departments said the gas millage and price are similar between the Crown Vics, Chargers and Tahoes.