Anaheim police want to be 1st department with a Cybertruck, email says

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)

Police say request made 'in jest'

by: Cameron Kiszla

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

Updated: Jul 19, 2024 / 09:34 AM PDT

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

As first 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 are in use “as patrol vehicles, with lights, sirens, and ‘passenger compartments for the arrestees,'” Gallacher told 404 Media.

Sgt. Jon McClintock told KTLA that obtaining a Cybertruck is not part of the department’s Tesla pilot program, which utilizes the Model Ys.

Instead of being a serious request, the Cybertruck comment was made in jest, McClintock said.

“The Anaheim PD is NOT looking to source or purchase a Cybertruck and has no plans to utilize one,” he said in an email.

A representative for UP.FIT, the company that customized Anaheim PD’s Teslas, said though they have received an order for a Cybertruck from a police department, the APD has not placed an order. The identity of the police department that placed the order will be revealed in the coming months.