With a growing department, with more boots on the ground, we need more tires on the ground as well.”

Katy Police Sgt. Travis Wilke

The Katy Police Department this month took delivery of two 2021 Chevrolet Tahoes to help officers serve the public.

The Tahoes bring the number of marked vehicles—that is, vehicles with police markings—to 33, Sgt. Travis Wilke said. Most of the fleet is comprised of Tahoes, though Wilke said it had four Ford Tauruses and two Ford Explorers.

The new Tahoes are additions to the police fleet, though some older police cars will eventually be retired.

“With a growing department, more boots on the ground, we need more tires on the ground as well,” Wilke said.

New and improved police vehicles come with their share of features. The Tahoes have a 10-speed transmission and the brakes have been upgraded. The charging system has been improved and expanded to handle the vehicle’s electronics.

But perhaps the biggest feature is the extra space. Wilke said officers can bring extra equipment.

“We haul around so much equipment all the time that it just makes more sense,” Wilke said, adding that larger suspects fit better in an SUV.

“You sit higher, see more,” Wilke said. “You have a better vantage point. I feel safer with more metal around me. They feel great, especially with the new transmission. They are taller than the older units, but they are stable, if not more stable, than the other units. It’s an upgrade all the way around.”

The vehicle features top-of-the line electronics, which includes the lights and sirens. Yet the police haven’t yet put the Tahoes into the regular rotation. Wilke said the department is still waiting on the laptops that the Tahoes will use.

“We can’t put them on streets without GPS and other equipment for officer safety reasons,” Wilke said.

The city spent $210,000 for the two vehicles as part of the 2021-22 city budget adopted earlier this year.