In order to better protect Ames and Iowa State, the Ames Police Department and the Department of Public Safety have purchased new patrol cars.

Loras Jaeger, director of DPS, said Ford Motor Company sends out a certain number of “police-packaged cars” each year. Both departments chose to purchase cars sent to Iowa this year.

Although the new cars are not equipped any differently than the older models, the price has jumped dramatically during past years, said Ames Police Chief Dennis Ballantine.

“Each new car is about $8,000 more than it was five years ago, making the new price $24,000,” he said.

The price increase is due to Ford Motor Company’s monopoly on these types of cars, he said.

The cars are not paid for directly by each department. ISU funded the five new DPS vehicles, and the nine new police vehicles were funded through Ames property taxes.

Ballantine said the police department usually purchases new cars once a year. When the cars reach 30,000 miles, they are replaced with new ones.

Ballantine said by the time the cars have run that many miles, they are “worn out.”

DPS leases its vehicles through Iowa Transportation Services and receives new ones every two to three years, Jaeger said.

“It’s the most cost effective,” he said.

Iowa Transportation Services will take DPS’s older cars without major problems, then strip, clean and fix them to be resold at the state auction in May.

Jaeger said the frequency at which DPS receives new cars depends on the ability of Iowa Transportation Services to make money.

All of the cars are Crown Victorias, and the main difference in the newer vehicles is the “shape of the sheet metal,” said Ames Police Sgt. Randy Kessel.

“The new cars have tighter steering, and anytime you get a new piece of equipment, it is going to operate better than the older equipment,” he said.

Kessel said with new cars, officers “can do a better and faster job.”

“[They’ll] spend less time waiting for their vehicle to get out of the shop and more time helping the Ames residents,” he said.