Ford — as far as the Manteca Police command is concerned  — has a better idea for patrol vehicles.

They are 2024  Ford F-150 Police Responder pickups.

Three of them will be patrolling the streets of Manteca as soon as Motorola radios arrive and are installed.

The same goes for two 2024 Dodge Durango SUVs.

The five new patrol units are part of eight vehicles bought for use by the Manteca Police Department.

The others include a Ford F-250 pickup equipped with cages for animal control services as well as two unmarked vehicles for use by detectives.

Manteca Police Captain Paul Carmona noted they are comparable to the Chevy Tahoe SUVs that are currently used on patrol.

They are four big differences.

*There is more room in the passenger cab.

*The back bed will allow the transportation of larger items such as bicycles eliminating the need to send another vehicle to pick up recovered stolen property or items belonging to a suspect that has been arrested.

*There is no huge backlog to obtain them.

*At $50,000, they are nearly $20,000 less expensive than the Chevy Tahoe at $70,000. The Dodge Durango costs about $50,000.

That said the durability matches what the Chevy Tahoe brought to patrol vehicles.

*Heavy-duty wheels and tires.

*Heavy-duty front suspension.

*Heavy-duty cooling system.

*Heavy-duty subframe.

*Undercarriage deflector plate.

*Heavy-duty braking system.

*Police-calibrated suspension.

*Police-tuned suspension.

Carmona noted the mixture of pickup trucks and SUVs for patrol will give the department vehicles with different capabilities.

The switch a few years back from sedans to SUVs — that are built on a pick-up chassis — have proven to be effective for a lot of police agencies.

The higher cost upfront ends up becoming less expensive in the long-run.

They have less downtime for maintenance and repairs.

They also have a longer life expectancy for patrol use of 150,000 miles versus 90,000 miles for sedans.

At the same time, American manufacturers have been phasing out larger sedans with Ford dropping all sedan sales in the United States.
The SUVs and pick-up trucks also have a higher profile that provides better sightlines in traffic.

The sturdy frame and suspension bodes well have for extensive use patrol vehicles receive.

Even when they are not in pursuit, the demands on a patrol vehicle are high.

Due to the onboard electronics as well as radio equipment, they need to be left running basically throughout a shift.

The heavy gear — protective and otherwise — an officer wears makes air conditioning essential, especially in the summer months.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com