Vehicles arriving for Kearney Police Department’s new assigned vehicle program

KEARNEY, Neb. — A Central Nebraska police department is getting closer to providing a vehicle to every officer.

The Kearney Police Department says it received half of its new fleet last week. Once the other half arrives, each of the city’s 62 officers will have an assigned vehicle that they can take home. The new program will replace the current policy, in which patrol vehicles are kept at the police station.

The expanded fleet is possible thanks to a $3 million grant from a local private foundation. The department says the assigned vehicle program is viewed in law enforcement as a desirable perk and will help Kearney recruit and retain officers. According to a news release, the only other Nebraska mid-size police department to offer a similar program is the Bellevue Police Department. The Nebraska State Patrol and most county sheriff’s offices, including Buffalo County, provide take-home vehicles.

Each vehicle will be equipped with all emergency lighting, equipment, and wrapped with POLICE graphics before being assigned to an officer. The department expects to have one vehicle per week become road-ready.