By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
CRANBURY — As it prepares to add to its fleet, the next stop for the Cranbury Police Department: hybrid vehicles.
The department expects to hear back from the state concerning bids on a hybrid sports utility vehicle by the end of the month, said Police Chief Ed Kahler.
”Once you have a hybrid, you’ll get more value from the gas savings,” he said.
By purchasing from the state, the department could save around $4,000.To purchase a hybrid under the capital budget, the department must acquire a vehicle that will have a life span of at least five years, which limits its options to SUVs, Chief Kahler said.
Once purchased, the vehicle will be added to the detective bureau, which has one 2003 unmarked Ford Crown Victoria, Chief Kahler said.
”It was something that was absolutely and definitely needed,” he said.
In total, the department has nine vehicles: a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer for the chief; one vehicle for the detective bureau; six patrol cars, including four Dodge Durangos that are nearing the end of their “useful life” and two newer Dodge Chargers; and one unmarked Dodge Charger for the Traffic Bureau.
Police Department vehicles take a harder beating on the roadways than civilian cars, meaning more frequent replacement, Chief Kahler said.
”A lot of the time, these vehicles are running 12-hour days, usually seven days a week,” Chief Kahler said. “It’s tough on the vehicles. They rotate out every few years.”
Last year, collectively, Cranbury’s police vehicles racked up 163,971 miles on the road, he said.
Although the department has been looking at phasing out the SUVs and incorporating the Dodge Chargers into its patrol unit, those plans have been temporarily suspended due to the economic climate.
”Because of the tough economic times, we’ll be making do with what we have — we’re not getting any new patrol cars,” Chief Kahler said. “All patrol vehicles will be refurbished and reused.”
In the midst of a full-blown recession, the department has seen a number of changes in the way it typically manages its fleet.
This year, the department will not be adding two new vehicles to the fleet and, likewise, will not have two cars to sell during an annual April auction as has been the routine in the past, Chief Kahler said.
The department plans to auction one vehicle that had been seized and used by the department, he said.
When the department does eventually add to the patrol fleet, residents won’t likely see hybrids on the road as the state does not offer that package with the Dodge Charger and Crown Victoria stock, Chief Kahler said.

