Las Vegas has become the first US city to deploy Tesla Cybertrucks in its police fleet, unveiling a new squad of these steel-bodied vehicles last month.
Donors provided ten of the vehicles earlier this year, marking a high-profile addition to the city’s law enforcement resources.
The Cybertruck, promoted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a disaster-resistant, bulletproof vehicle, is not available in Europe due to pedestrian safety concerns. Tesla sold only 5,385 Cybertrucks in the third quarter of this year, a 63% drop compared to the same period last year. Recalls have plagued the trucks, including issues with side panels, overbright headlights, and unstable acceleration pedals.
Las Vegas Police Chief Kevin McMahill described the vehicles as more than just police cars, calling them a symbol of innovation. The fleet was donated by venture capitalist Ben Horowitz and his wife, Felicia Horowitz, through a law enforcement charity. The donation, valued at around $2.7 million, was finalized in January 2025 after nearly ten months of updates to equip the trucks for policing duties.
The Cybertrucks will be used in specialized operations, including situations involving barricaded suspects and hostage incidents. The police department emphasized that no taxpayer money was spent on the vehicles.
Civil liberties groups have criticized the move, arguing the vehicles project style rather than safety. Other US cities, including Baltimore and King County, Washington, faced backlash over plans to purchase Tesla vehicles for government use.
The Horowitz family has been a longtime supporter of Las Vegas law enforcement, contributing around $8 million over the past two years to fund technology such as license plate readers, drones, and AI tools for 911 call management.
The addition of Cybertrucks is seen as part of a broader push to modernise police operations while maintaining public engagement.
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