GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario supports switching to hybrid vehicles so long as they can meet the needs of deputies on patrol.

“I am absolutely in favor of hybrid vehicles, alternative energy — anything we can do,” he said during an interview Wednesday.

But he’s also concerned that standard police equipment like radios and safety cages may not fit in smaller hybrid vehicles. And Garfield County deputies have different needs than the Aspen Police Department, which recently said it is buying hybrids.

While covering a county of nearly 3,000 square miles, deputies sometimes must travel down rough and remote county roads or even off-road during winter conditions, Vallario said.

Garfield County Sheriff’s Office vehicle fleet cost • The office has $848,000 budgeted for its vehicle fleet this year. This figure includes the projected cost of all maintenance plus the cost of purchasing new vehicles. No figures for the fuel cost alone were immediately available. So far this year, the Sheriff’s Office has spent around $325,000 on its fleet. • The fleet has around 56 vehicles, many of them are Ford F-150s. The vehicles are generally retired from the Sheriff’s Office after about three years or 100,000 miles. Source: Garfield County Sheriff’s Office

“To me, the first thing I have to look at is, ‘Are our guys provided with the proper equipment to get the job done?’” he said.

The Aspen Police Department said in May it planned to replace Volvo cruisers with 10 Toyota Highlander hybrids at the cost of $35,000 each. The cost didn’t include extra equipment that goes in police vehicles.

Vallario said 2008 F-150s were purchased at $32,700 each. And there’s about another $12,000 for each vehicle to install police equipment. Deputies are putting up to 40,000 miles per year on Ford F-150s used for patrol, Vallario said.

A Toyota Highlander hybrid could get an additional 10 miles per gallon or more in fuel economy compared to an F-150 and produce around two tons less per year in greenhouse gasses.

Vallario said the decision on switching to hybrids would ultimately be up to county commissioners. He said lobbying on the issue would be “a little bit beyond my office as sheriff.” He expects hybrid technology to improve and would like to see it proven reliable for law enforcement needs without hurting responses to crimes or emergencies.

Glenwood Springs Police Chief Terry Wilson said Aspen’s decision to go hybrid will provide a great chance to evaluate how well the cars work for law enforcement. He’d also like to see how hybrids evolve and develop more of a track record.

“I was really excited to see that Aspen took the plunge,” he said. “We’ve made a commitment as a city to try to be more energy conscious. … The Highlander could be a fairly decent vehicle for our uses.”

Wilson shares concerns about fitting police equipment into hybrids and wonders how well hybrid electric systems would hold up to 24-hour use.

Glenwood police are driving the Tahoes in part because they’re equipped to use flexible fuel or E85 ethanol fuel. Wilson had expected the availability of the fuel to increase locally, but the gas isn’t available in or near Glenwood.

Wilson said the Glenwood Springs Police Department has also instituted an employee car pooling program, which is taking around three or four cars off the road each day. Many employees live in Silt or beyond due to the cost of housing in Glenwood.

Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121

pfowler@postindependent.com

Glenwood Springs Police Department fuel costs • Through April this year: $22,316 • 2007: $55,411 • 2006: $39,370 • 2005: $34,343 • The fleet includes a number of Chevrolet Tahoes. They’re usually retired after 70,000 to 100,000 miles. Source: Glenwood Springs Finance Department (figures also include small amounts for oil change costs)