The city of Winston-Salem is set to spend more than $2 million on new police vehicles.
The city council voted Tuesday to buy 62 Ford Interceptor SUVs for the police department.
Assistant Police Chief William Penn said the department opted to purchase the SUVs instead of less expensive sedans in part because they were available sooner.
“We're extremely short on vehicles and the SUV is just the only vehicle we can get right now," said Penn.
Department officials said about 100 vehicles are needed overall.
In earlier meetings, members of the public had questioned the planned purchase, saying the funds should instead be directed towards social programs.