The police department of the small town of Kemah, southeast of Houston, has received an unusual American pickup for street patrols. This is not the type of vehicle that Texans are accustomed to.
Non-Standard Police Vehicle
Instead of another lifted, gas-guzzling giant, the Kemah Police Department has added a Tesla Cybertruck to its fleet. This move did not evoke pride among local residents. Judging by the comments under the department’s Facebook post, local residents are actively discussing this decision.
More and more police departments across the United States are beginning to add the Cybertruck to their fleets. Compared to others, the Cybertruck delivered to the police in Kemah looks completely standard, except for the police markings. The vehicle was donated by Enterprise Leasing and will be used for testing to understand if the Tesla is suitable for patrol duty.
Importantly, the police state that no taxpayer funds were spent on this acquisition. However, this did not stop residents from expressing their opinion, many of whom shared sharp comments under the department’s post.
Residents’ Reaction
One commenter wrote:
Lmaooo imagine the battery dying tryna chase someone
, and another posted:
Y’all ain’t catching anyone in that
. There is no information on which specific Cybertruck trim was received, but even if it’s the base model, it can be assumed that it could easily be used to chase most drivers in Texas.
One Facebook user left this comment:
Hey guys, if anyone’s missing their refrigerator I found it, it’s having an identity crisis and is now trying to identify as a cop car
. Another wrote:
Flood waters, here we don’t come!
One comment in classic internet style summed up the skepticism:
If that thing is chasing me, ain’t no way I’m stopping for a garbage can
.
The Future of Electric Vehicles in Police Work
The question of whether the Cybertruck will prove practical for police work in Texas remains open. The vehicle offers noticeable performance and high safety ratings, both factors potentially valuable in patrol scenarios. The biggest question may concern charging logistics, especially for a service built around reliability and familiarity with internal combustion engines.
This experiment by the Kemah police is taking place in the context of a general trend of testing electric vehicles by government services. While public reaction is often joking or skeptical, a real assessment of effectiveness will require time and detailed analysis of the vehicle’s performance in the field. The success or failure of this particular Cybertruck could influence further decisions by other small municipalities regarding modernizing their fleets, balancing innovation, budget, and public opinion.