The Santa Barbara Police Department is in the process of upgrading its fleet of patrol cars as the force's current stock of Ford Crown Victoria cruisers reaches the end of its lifespan. The new model of choice is the Ford Explorer.
When Ford stopped making Crown Vics in 2011 — the burly sedans were a staple of police departments and taxi companies nationwide for decades — the SBPD bought a number of them and stored the reserves at the airport. The department has since burned through the remaining cars and is now looking for a new model to adopt.
The department purchased five Chevy Caprices, but "they have not been well-received by our officers," said police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood. Most of the officers found them too small to accommodate patrol car equipment — a computer, keyboard, camera, weapons, backseat barrier, and so on. Each Caprice costs $55,940, which includes $41,244 for the car and $14,695 for the parts and labor to have them outfitted for police use.