Photos of new Española Police Department vehicles. All photos by Robert Naranjo with the Valley Daily Post

Española Police Dept. Fleet Going Black & White

The Española Police Department’s aging vehicle fleet recently received a major upgrade when the department received six new police cruisers and SUV’s late last week. The police department also adopted a new paint scheme for all vehicles which the United States Department of Homeland Security recommended for all local police departments to create a uniformed style that is easily recognized and enhances safety.  

This new paint scheme is spreading throughout the region. The Rio Arriba County Sherriff’s office is also adopting the paint scheme for all new vehicles, and in Santa Fe both the city police, and the Sheriff's office, have adopted the black-and-white markings on police squad cars and SUVs. The federal Department of Homeland Security issued a recommendation for this style in 2013 to standardize police vehicles around the country with black vehicles, white doors and "Police" painted visibly on the side door.