Anaheim police want to be 1st department with a Cybertruck

A Tesla Cybertruck is on display at the Tesla showroom in Buena Park, Calif., Dec. 3, 2023. Tesla is recalling its futuristic new Cybertruck pickup for the fourth time in the U.S. to fix problems with trim pieces that can come loose and front windshield wipers that can fail. The new recalls, announced in documents posted Tuesday, June 25, 2024, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each affect more than 11,000 trucks. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

by: Cameron Kiszla

Posted: Jul 17, 2024 / 11:30 AM PDT

Updated: Jul 17, 2024 / 11:30 AM PDT

The Tesla Cybertruck may not be able to keep an accelerator pedal from sticking or go through a car wash, but the Anaheim police believe the high-end electric vehicle would be a perfect fit for the department.

As reported by 404 Media, public records show that Sgt. Jacob Gallacher said the Anaheim Police Department wants “to be the first police agency to have a Cybertruck.”

Gallacher told 404 Media that the Cybertruck wouldn’t be a patrol vehicle; rather, it’d be used for “community engagement” in events like parades or to spark conversations with members of the public.

The $100,000 cost is prohibitive for a patrol vehicle, he said, though other Tesla vehicles are already in use on patrols.

APD has six modified Model Ys that it is using “as patrol vehicles, with lights, sirens, and ‘passenger compartments for the arrestees,'” Gallacher told 404 Media.