The New Kensington Police Department will soon have two new vehicles on the road.

City Council on Monday approved leasing two vehicles for four years for about $67,500. The city received a $50,000 state grant to help cover the cost.

The vehicles will be 2020 Ford Explorer SUVs, police Chief Bob Deringer said.

Deringer said leasing the vehicles costs less than buying them, which allows the city to get two instead of one.

The vehicles are expected to arrive in one or two weeks, according to Deringer. They’ll arrive without police equipment or graphics. Deringer said it could be up to two months before they’re equipped, marked and ready for service.

The new Fords will sport graphics somewhat different from the rest of the department’s fleet, including larger lettering, but Deringer said the change is not extreme. They will be white, like the current vehicles.

Deringer said the new SUVs will replace two Chevrolet Impalas. Those cars will be converted for unmarked use. The department currently has five unmarked vehicles, all of which are cars, he said.

With the new Fords, a majority of the department’s marked fleet will become SUVs. Currently, the department has eight marked vehicles, evenly split between cars and SUVs. With the new SUVs, the department will have six SUVs and two cars, according to Deringer.

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