City begins upgrading Powell Police Department vehicle fleet
Published on July 06, 2026
The City of Powell has begun modernizing its police vehicles as a part of a data-driven initiative to upgrade the Powell Police Department and service vehicle fleets while saving nearly $400,000.
To support this work, the City hired Compass Direct, a professional fleet management company, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all police and service vehicles. In mid-2023, the City began using a new software package to track vehicle condition, usage, maintenance costs and replacement cycles.
This shift, combined with improved lifecycle planning, is projected to save nearly $400,000 over five years by reducing the frequency of vehicle replacements and avoiding costly repairs.
“By using data-driven fleet management, we're making smarter decisions that improve public safety while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars,” City of Powell Police Chief Ron Sallows said.
Through this system, annual inspections and assessments of City vehicles are performed and a five-year replacement plan is provided to the City. The City used this system to evaluate the police vehicle fleet and determined that data supported switching to a different model vehicle with a longer lifespan.
The first three 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe cruisers, which are replacing old Ford patrol vehicles, are now in service and include advanced lighting, improved siren technology and purpose-built storage. Historically, the City’s police fleet relied on Ford vehicles with a three-year replacement cycle.
While annual maintenance costs between the two vehicle types are virtually the same, the Tahoe offers a longer five-year replacement cycle and includes a seven-year unlimited mileage warranty. This warranty helps protect the City from major repair costs over time.
The new vehicles are equipped with an additional Howler siren which generates deep, reverberating tones that cut through noise better than more typical, high-frequency sirens, helping alert drivers and pedestrians to emergency vehicles approaching even when windows are closed or there is high background noise.
An advanced emergency lightbar system, Dynamic Variable Intensity, allows officers to control the flash patterns on their vehicles including standard flash patterns, ramping from off and on and directional patterns. The new vehicles can also synchronize their lightbars with nearby vehicles to send a consistent signal across cruisers.
This technology increases visibility during traffic stops, crash investigations and emergency incidents, reducing the chances of secondary crashes and ultimately improving public safety.
“Enhanced emergency lighting, improved visibility and better equipment storage help protect our officers while allowing them to respond more efficiently,” Sallows said. “These upgrades also make emergency scenes safer for motorists and residents, ensuring we continue providing the highest level of service to our community.”
The current replacement schedule has all Ford patrol vehicles being replaced in 2030.