The Las Vegas Police Department has introduced a new fleet of tactical vehicles to the city's streets. They're all Tesla Cybertrucks. As “The Guardian” points out, Las Vegas is the first city in the USA whose police officers received a whole group of futuristic trucks at their disposaltoday associated with Elon Musk, the richest man in the world.
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“They represent something much bigger than just a police car,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a recent news conference to unveil the vehicles. “They represent innovation,” added McMahill, quoted by The Guardian.
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Police cybertrucks have sparked controversy
Las Vegas' decision also sparked controversy over the manner and timing of acquiring the new fleet. Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Nevada, quoted by The Guardian, said that the use of these Cybertrucks by the police looked like support for Musk.
He also added that residents want to feel safer, and “I don't think the Tesla Cybertruck makes anyone feel safer.”
As “The Guardian” reminds, news about 10 electric Cybertrucks first appeared in Las Vegas in February. One of the police's later posts on Instagram stated that the fleet “was entirely donated by an anonymous donor.”
This city's police got a whole flotilla of Tesla Cybertrucks. Futuristic police cars on the streets
The mysterious donors – as “The Guardian” explains – turned out to be Ben and Felicia Horowitz, associated with the Andreessen Horowitz company. They donated 10 Cybertrucks to the police and one vehicle for SWAT. In fact the entire fleet is worth $2.7 million. The cars were modified to meet the needs of the services, and the entire operation took place without expenses from the city budget.
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Horowitz's company, one of the most famous in Silicon Valley, invests in various technology companies and has put up $400 million to help Musk take over Twitter in 2022.
News of the Cybertrucks' transfer emerged at a time when Tesla's sales were declining and Elon Musk was shredding federal payrolls as head of DOGE. According to police department emails obtained by The Guardian through a public records request, the donation was in the works a month after Donald Trump won the election.
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Cybertrucks have had numerous recalls and falling sales. In Europe they are banned for pedestrian safety reasons, and in the US some cities have withdrawn from purchasing Teslas for public fleets. However, Las Vegas police assure that all defects were removed before patrols began.
