Heavy Flooding Damages Dozens of Dallas Police Vehicles

Compounding the struggles it has with an aging vehicle fleet, the Dallas Police Department had 25 patrol cars and other vehicles damaged by the flash flooding that saturated the area this week.

Aug. 24, 2022

Flash flooding Monday damaged or submerged over two dozen Dallas Police Department vehicles, and authorities are scrambling for solutions to keep officers rolling.

In a memo to the department earlier this week, Chief Eddie Garcia said he was exploring options when it came to finding more patrol cars officers could use, KDFW-TV reports. The department—along with Dallas Fire-Rescue—were already facing a shortage of vehicles because of the global microchip shortage and the continued disruption of manufacturers' supply chains.

The police department also faces the added challenge of a fleet made up of aging cruisers with over 100,000 hard-worn miles on them.

"It is not uncommon for a wheel to fall off a squad car because of the aggressive driving done every day," said Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata.rs for emergency vehicles.