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New Kentucky State Police cruisers will be Chevrolets instead of Fords

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The Kentucky State Police is rolling out new cruisers.

The agency is moving from the Ford Crown Victoria, which no longer is being manufactured, to the 2012 Chevrolet Caprice.

State police recently bought 125 of the vehicles - 100 in traditional gray and 25 in tan for its commercial vehicle enforcement division.

Trooper Michael Webb of the state police public affairs division said Wednesday that each cruiser cost $25,400, or about $3.17 million for 125.

They will replace the state police's aging fleet of 2004-2010 model Fords. About 1,000 cruisers are currently being used.

"Our current fleet is subject to a rigorous maintenance schedule designed to extend the working life of each vehicle as much as possible," Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer said in a release.

"However, law enforcement applications are extremely hard on vehicles," so additional cars will be replaced as current ones wear out beyond repair, and money is available.

The Caprice is a full-size, rear-wheel-drive sedan developed exclusively for the U.S. law enforcement market. It has a 355-horsepower V-8 engine.

Webb said that a research committee tested the cruisers and that they were cheaper than the new Ford alternative.

The aging cruisers will be sold at public auction, he said, noting that proceeds from the auction will be used to offset the cost of new cars.