Why Are 80 New Shreveport Patrol Cars Sitting in Parking Lot?

I've gotten several calls and texts lately about rows and rows of new police SUV's sitting in the parking lot outside of Stage Works in downtown Shreveport. So, I moseyed down there to check it out. And sure enough, there are several rows of black Ford Interceptors lined up. They don't have any light bars or logos on any of the cars. It looks like they all still need to be outfitted.

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KEEL News asked these questions about why this cars are just sitting there in the parking lot. We got answers to our questions from a spokesperson for SPD.

How long have these cars been here? (I'm told it's at least 2 months)

Yes we have had the cars a couple of months but we have not been spared from the equipment and supply shortages that the rest of the country is experiencing. We are still waiting on key equipment that will be necessary to get the units on the road.

When will they be put in service?

We don’t have a set date yet. We will be putting them into service as they are made ready. Teeco Safety is outfitting our units and has fortified their work force and they are working diligently to get the equipment installed. It takes 24 hours to completely outfit one car.

What still needs to be done to get them up and going?

We need to get all of our equipment in.

What's the holdup on getting them on the streets.

Getting the required equipment in to outfit them. We are grateful to have them. If you look back on the cars we’ve received in the past, we’ve had similar issues. Striping them out and installing all of the required equipment is a tedious process.

They are all black. Are we changing the color scheme for patrol cars?

Yes we are and they are going to look fantastic!

These 80 new cars are just the first phase of getting the fleet of cars replaced. The Shreveport City Council recently approved funding for 40 more cars.