The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced its plan to implement a new design for its patrol cars today.
While the graphics will remain the same, the traditional black and white paint scheme will be replaced with a solid black color, according to a news release.
The one-color design is part of a cost-saving measure to avoid pricey paint jobs and touch ups.
In the past, when the Sheriff’s office bought a new black car, a portion would be painted white, costing the department about $1,200 per car.
An average of 10 to 12 cars are purchased each year.
By leaving the cars black, the department could save $128,000 during the next four years. The solid-color cars will also be worth more at resale.
Painting portions of the cars white, kept some of the cruisers out of service for weeks while the car was painted and equipment installed.
The new 2011 cars will be put into service as soon as the equipment is installed, and all patrol cars will wear the new design within 4 years.
Existing cars will not be re-painted.
The official design unveiling will be on Aug. 5.
