TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department soon plans to launch a new fleet of electric vehicles.
City officials announced it will be awarded a nearly $1 million grant to fund the purchase of up to 13 electric police vehicles for the department.
Tampa police drive around 4.5 million cumulative miles and spend more than $3 million annually on gas, the city said in a news release. Its public safety divisions, including the Tampa Police Department and Fire Rescue, are reportedly responsible for 7,500 metric tons of carbon emissions annually — or about 850,000 gallons of fuel. The new EVs are meant to help offset the department's carbon footprint.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, secured the federal funding as Tampa's voice at Capitol Hill.
"This initiative is just one of many we are excited and proud to implement in our city as we move toward a more sustainable future," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. "We must take action in order to reach our environmental goals, but we would not be able to pursue many of these initiatives without support from our elected officials, like U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
"We are immensely grateful for these valuable federal dollars that will help us reduce our carbon footprint, improve air quality, and reduce fuel costs to taxpayers."
The city said it has 272 alternative fuel vehicles across its fleet, accounting for about 13 percent of its total. Its public safety divisions have no such vehicles.
The make and model of the vehicles have not been identified. Over the next few weeks, the Tampa Police Department will work toward finding the best electric vehicle to suit its needs, according to the department.
