Trying to be more environmentally conscious, several police departments in Salt Lake County have traded some of their gas patrol cars for hybrids, and other departments see a switch in their futures.
Salt Lake City, the first in the state and among the first few departments in the country to make the shift, passed a $4 million budget in June to replace 110 aging patrol gas cars with new hybrid vehicles. The change is part of the city’s initiative to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2040.
“The mayor is an advocate for clean air and clean energy … and we have been looking into how to transition the city,” said Matthew Rojas, spokesman for Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski.