Sheriff’s Office Dumping Ford Cruisers, Changing Logo
Switching to Chevy Tahoes
The author is a veteran journalist who served as Florida bureau chief for the New York Post before launching The St. Johns Citizen, which first published this story on June 26, 2026. It is reprinted here with permission.
By SELIM ALGAR
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is replacing its Ford patrol vehicles with Chevrolet Tahoes and introducing new graphics, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced in a YouTube video.
Cook said that although the new rides run $5,000 more than the Ford police vehicles, the SUVs are expected to provide greater value over their crimefighting careers.
The Clay top cop said the Tahoes should last an additional 30,000 to 50,000 miles, extending the average life of a patrol vehicle from six to eight years to as many as 10 years.
She also said the SUVs are expected to have more than double the resale value of the Fords.
Fleet Manager Jason Jeralds said the sheriff’s office is also becoming a General Motors-certified warranty center, allowing technicians to complete warranty repairs in-house.
Instead of sending vehicles to dealerships for covered repairs, General Motors will reimburse the agency for the work performed, offsetting maintenance costs while reducing downtime.
The sheriff’s office has also begun installing emergency lights, sirens and prisoner transport cages in-house rather than paying vendors.
Geralds estimated the change saves approximately $4,000 per vehicle in labor costs.
In addition, the agency is redesigning the graphics on its patrol vehicles after partnering with a local company to produce and apply the decals.
Cook said the previous vendor, located outside Clay County, owned the rights to the existing logo, requiring the sheriff’s office to create a new design.
Working with a local business is expected to reduce turnaround times and save more than $200 per vehicle.
Cook said residents will begin seeing the new Chevrolet Tahoes with updated graphics on Clay County roads over the next few weeks.