(WXYZ) — Police chiefs and sheriffs across Southeast Michigan are forced to navigate rising fuel costs while maintaining the same level of service for citizens.
Most agencies operate their own fuel stations, and some are even looking at other alternatives.
Today, I talked with police and a sheriff in both Wayne and Macomb counties to find out how they're approaching the latest fuel challenges.
Navigating sky-high gas prices means many police agencies have to plan accordingly. In some cases, incorporating electric vehicles into their fleet.
“We recently acquired three of these Mach-Es," said Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin.
In the city of Dearborn, Chief Shahin says keeping everyone safe remains the top priority, and a big part of that relies heavily on a fleet of 100 vehicles driven day and night for patrol, 9-1-1 response and more.
“With gas approaching $5 a gallon, I’ll save $10,000 for each one of these cars a year," he said.
Chief Shahin invited me to ride with him in one of the department’s new electric Mach-E SUVs, bought eight months ago for its pursuit capabilities and with an emphasis on skipping the pump.
The vehicles are a small part of the fleet, which remains mostly gas-powered.
"We purchase gas with a consortium of downriver communities at a bulk rate. When prices spike, we don’t immediately absorb those costs," said Chief Shahin.
I asked the chief about the sheer volume of gas needed to maintain operations, and he quickly pointed out that gas approaching $5 a gallon has many in policing concerned, but that there will be no reductions in police response or strategy.
“Some communities do have hybrid Explorers," he said.
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“There may be some communities that this is really pinching their budgets," said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham.
In Macomb County, Sheriff Wickersham also told me 50-60 patrol units must be on the roads, and the county relies on budgeting for tough times.
“Everything we do, we are in a car for the most part," said Sheriff Wickersham.
And while the Iran war and other factors impact fuel costs for all of the US, including law enforcement, communities of all sizes continue to take steps to avoid being handcuffed at the pump.
“I know for smaller agencies it can be a real hardship," said Chief Shahin.
Here in Dearborn, the chief says success with electric vehicles could lead to more being added to the fleet.
