The Iowa State Patrol is getting 785-thousand dollars from the state’s settlement with computer giant Microsoft to purchase some new patrol cars. The Patrol has complained that the tight budget has forced them to run their cars on the road longer then normal. Captain Patrick Hoye (like toy) says getting the new cars will be a big boost. He says they’re averaging 137-thousand miles before they turn in the cars, so they’re excited to be able to put some newer vehicles into the fleet. Hoye says the state has to put out a bid for the cars and then order them — so he’s not exactly sure when they get the new cars. One other thing that’s still up in the air is the color scheme for the new cruisers.)He says that hasn’t been set yet, as he says they’re looking at more multi-colored vehicles with the emphasis on the new 70-mile-an hour speed limit. Hoye says they expect to get around 37 new cars. He says the last cars cost around 22-thousand dollars just for the cars, and then they add on all the extra equipment. He says they recycle the equipment when a car is turned in with excessive mileage and put that equipment into the new cars. Hoye says the cars are more than just a way for troopers to get around — for many of them it’s their office. He says they go to work and everything they need to perform their task is right there and for many days they never go to a regular office — it’s right there in the car. The state patrol covers 112-thousand miles of state roadways.
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