A handful of Adams County Sheriff’s deputies have brand new rides.

And they’re not your grandpa’s patrol cars.

The six 2007 Dodge Chargers joined the force recently, replacing some well-worn vehicles, Sheriff Ronny Brown said.

The Chargers are the new trend in law enforcement, Brown said. They’re gradually replacing the Ford Crown Victoria, a longtime law enforcement staple.

“This is supposed to be the up-and-coming car in law enforcement,” Brown said.

The Chargers are a little cheaper — less than $25,000 a piece — and they have more room, he said.

“They’re smaller on the outside but bigger on the inside,” Brown said. “They’re tough and equipped for law enforcement.”

When the county supervisors reviewed the budget this year, they allocated money to replace the old vehicles. The 2001 vehicles had more than 150,000 miles on them, he said. With that many miles, the cost of upkeep was more than was reasonable.

“If you’re driving a vehicle with 150,000 miles on it every day, they just slap wear out,” Brown said.

And since the sheriff’s department can purchase cars through a state contract, it’s cheaper to replace them than it would be for a regular customer.

There was also talk that the Crown Victoria might get phased out of the line, Brown said.

As for how deputies would adapt to the new design, only time would tell, he said.

“That’s what people will be using,” Brown said.

“It’s going to be the standard in the law enforcement community. We’re just going to drive them and see how they work.”