The Hillside Police Department has purchased a 2011 Ford Escape "Hybrid," a fuel-efficient vehicle that averages about 10 miles more per gallon of gas than standard Ford Crown Victoria police cruisers. The new, environmentally friendly vehicle will replace an older, gas-guzzling vehicle in the Police Department's fleet.

Hybrids, which switch between a gas engine and electric motor when operated in city traffic, reduce carbon monoxide emissions and run quieter than conventional gasoline-burning vehicles. The Crown Victoria has an eight-cylinder engine. By comparison, a Ford Escape hybrid has only four cylinders. Although not as powerful or as fast as the Crown "Vic," the hybrid vehicle can be useful for many non-emergency police purposes.

The Hillside Police Department purchased the vehicle with federal forfeiture funds, at no cost to local taxpayers. The Police Department receives the funds through the Internal Revenue Service "Anti-Money Laundering Task Force." Detective Donald Wilkenfeld, a member of the Police Department, was assigned to the task force two years ago and participates in "white-collar crime" investigations conducted by the I.R.S. The Police Department receives a portion of funds recovered during the investigations. Funds received through the program are used to purchase equipment for the Police Department.

While a few other police departments in New Jersey have purchased several of the hybrid vehicles for patrol work, the Hillside Police Department has no immediate plans to purchase additional ones. This vehicle will be used as a "trial," for investigative and administrative use only, and will be evaluated after six months. If it proves useful, additional hybrids may be purchased and deployed in the Patrol Division, where they would be subjected to more rigorous duty.