Caring for police vehicles means protecting them from weather damage and vandalism. Police officers rely on vehicles and electronic equipment to safely complete work each day. In addition to safety concerns, police vehicles can be very costly because of the expensive equipment inside.
Investing in police vehicle parking structures can help reduce department costs by protecting this expensive equipment. If departments have a large fleet of vehicles, it’s even more important to have secure police vehicle parking that protects police equipment. Learn more about the benefits of covered parking for police vehicles.
5 Benefits of Covered Police Vehicle Parking
Covered parking is good for all vehicles, since it protects them from the elements and reduces maintenance requirements. However, vehicle protection structures are particularly beneficial for police vehicles. Here are five benefits of covered parking for emergency vehicles:
1. Protect Sensitive Equipment
Purchasing police vehicles and vehicle equipment is an expensive investment — for example, the 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (PIU) starts at $48,000, and most departments will spend thousands more per vehicle on upgrades. Essential vehicle equipment also includes items like computers, radios, and emergency devices. These high upfront investment costs make it essential to increase the lifespan of each vehicle.
All this equipment is often sensitive to overheating. If police vehicles are left in the sun for a long period of time, it can compromise the equipment’s longevity. Keeping police vehicles under protective structures is an easy way to prevent prolonged sunlight exposure and reduce the risk of sensitive electronics overheating.
Sheltering vehicles from adverse weather like hail and snow is also much better for the vehicles themselves. A rogue hailstorm can cause significant damage, and keeping vehicles inside a parking garage or building isn’t always possible. Appropriate police vehicle storage solutions, like canopies, can protect both the interior and exterior of vehicles from damage.
2. Prevent Ultraviolet (UV) Damage
In addition to heat, sunlight sends out UV rays that can damage a vehicle’s exterior over time. These rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation that breaks down plastics, rubber, finishes, and other materials. UV damage can affect vehicles fairly quickly, leading to color fading, paint cracking, and hazy headlights.
Weather and environmental factors can make the effects of UV exposure worse. Reflective surfaces like snow and light-colored pavement reflect UV, increasing exposure for vehicles parked nearby. Many paint products are designed to resist UV rays so they last longer. However, even high-quality sealants will degrade over time.
One of the most effective ways to protect equipment from UV damage is to keep it shaded or inside a building. Police vehicles that stay under a protective, shaded structure can avoid most direct UV rays. This can increase paint longevity, keep plastic materials strong, and maintain clear headlights.
Keeping vehicles out of the sun is a wise way to reduce maintenance costs and ensure equipment is always ready to be used. UV rays are present in cold and warm climates, so departments can benefit from UV protection for their vehicles regardless of their location and local weather patterns.
3. Reduce Department Costs
Protecting vehicles can lead to valuable savings for police departments over time. Some ways that police vehicle parking structures help reduce expenses include:
- Lowering maintenance costs
- Reducing replacement parts
- Extending equipment lifetime
- Offering energy savings from shade
- Protecting vehicles from weather damage
Police vehicles can be extremely expensive to invest in and maintain. However, strategic police vehicle storage, like overhead canopy structures, can help reduce these costs through maintenance prevention. While costs aren’t the only reason to install vehicle protection structures, they’re a considerable benefit.
Freeing up costs from vehicle care means that departments can invest their funds in other valuable areas. Although vehicle protection structures do take a one-time investment, they’re significantly more affordable than parking garages and other forms of vehicle protection. The savings in vehicle maintenance make vehicle protection structures more than worth the initial cost.
4. Enhance Comfort and Efficiency
Investing in covered parking for police vehicles can also benefit officer safety. When vehicles are kept covered, they’re always ready to be used, regardless of rain, snow, or other weather conditions. Being able to leave quickly is important for police officers, whether they’re responding to an emergency or starting a scheduled shift.
Because overhead structures block the sun, they can help keep vehicles cool. This reduces the energy needed to cool them down to a comfortable indoor temperature once police officers need to use them. Hot seats, door handles, and steering wheels are all inconvenient and can reduce efficiency at work.
Protective structures can have walkways attached that make it cooler to walk back and forth from buildings to shaded parking areas. If there’s adverse weather like rain or hail, officers can access their vehicles without having to experience the brunt of the storm. Protective structures and walkway covers create a corridor that’s rain-free and easy to keep clear of snow in the winter.
5. Strengthen Vehicle Security
Police departments are at risk of intruders accessing and vandalizing their vehicles. This creates a safety risk for personnel and can be expensive for departments to handle. While there are many important steps for keeping police parking lots secure, vehicle protection structures are one way to help.
Putting canopies over vehicles demonstrates care and maintenance for the area. Facilities that look official and well cared for are less likely to be the target of casual crime. For more intentional criminals, departments can place surveillance equipment on and around canopies to detect and record movement.
Types of Vehicle Protection Structures
Police emergency vehicle covered parking can be made of several different kinds of vehicle protection structures. These options solve different challenges to create the parking protection structure that departments are looking for. Here are some structures to consider when planning facility parking coverage:
Cantilevers
Cantilever structures have offset columns that leave one side of the protection structure column-free. This kind of covered parking is ideal for areas where many columns won’t fit or may be in the way. Because they have few columns, cantilever covers are quick to install compared to other designs.
Departments that are looking for shade protection for their vehicles should start here. Cantilevers are strong, durable, and customizable to project requirements. They can include internal wiring for surveillance cameras and outdoor lighting, allowing police facilities to implement vehicle and personnel protection solutions with a single installation.
Aesthetically, cantilevers are more appealing than parking garages or other methods of vehicle protection. They can be designed with waterproof fabric covers in a range of colors and textures to suit a facility’s exterior design. Cantilevers function well as single installations or in large groups to cover more area.
Mass Coverage Structures
Departments that experience frequent hailstorms may want to invest in mass coverage structures. This type of vehicle protection can be customized to fit a site’s terrain and layout. It’s a cost-effective choice for covering large parking areas so vehicles are secure from adverse weather events.
Mass coverage structures are constructed with steel and tension cables, so they’re durable for the long term. In addition to protecting vehicles from hail damage, they keep the sun off police equipment and make it easier for personnel to travel between their vehicles and the facility when there’s a storm.
These structures are aesthetically pleasing and can be installed in almost every length and width to fit a property perfectly. The amount of support posts needed will depend on factors like size and weight, but these structures can easily be designed to keep posts out of the way. For large parking lots that require full coverage, mass coverage structures are an ideal solution.
Covered Walkways
Some departments may also want to incorporate walkways into their covered police vehicle parking design. Walkways define passageways for personnel to travel between buildings or from a facility to their vehicles. They offer protection during storms, as well as many other benefits:
- Reduce risk of falling
- Minimize pavement damage
- Offer protection from heat
- Keep pedestrian traffic organized
- Share department logo
While many protection structures are primarily designed for vehicles, they can also be used to take care of personnel working in a police facility. Walkways are a good example of how outdoor coverings can make a facility safer and more convenient for employees, whether they drive police vehicles or hold other administrative jobs inside the building.
Walkways can be designed with a variety of covering slopes and angles, depending on a project’s specific needs. Length, width, and height of the walkway can also all be changed to suit a site’s requirements. High-quality walkways may be covered with durable, waterproof fabric that lasts for many years.
Solar Covered Parking
Interested in combining solar panels with covered vehicle protection structures? Departments can elevate their canopies with solar panels, either to power facility processes or to sell electricity back to the local power company. Depending on a facility’s layout, solar panel canopies can be paired with typical parking spots or electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Installing solar panel coverings may unlock local and state tax incentives, making parking structures more affordable for police departments. Panels can help police facilities save on energy costs and meet department sustainability goals. Because solar panels can help organizations reach LEED certification, departments may be able to access additional funding by installing them.
Solar panel covered parking can be designed to cover small or large areas in a parking lot. Like cantilever and mass coverage structures, this kind of covered parking can be changed in terms of materials, colors, size, and position on the site. It’s designed to be strong enough to support panels while shading vehicles, and wiring for the panels can be run down through the covering’s support columns.
How to Plan Covered Parking for Police Vehicles
To install the best vehicle parking, departments should start by considering their goals. Factors to think through include:
- Size of parking area and number of spots to cover
- Common vehicle risks and challenges
- Types of protective covers they prefer
- Budget for the project
- Desired aesthetic for covered parking
Once a department has discussed these questions and decided on a project goal, it can contact a trusted vehicle protection structure company to ask specific questions. An experienced company can offer customized solutions that meet specific needs with cost-effective vehicle protection options.
FAQs About Covered Police Vehicle Parking
These answers can help resolve important questions that police departments have about installing covered parking solutions. Learning more about structure options is a good first step toward making the best choice for protecting police vehicles from heat and storm damage.
Does Covered Parking Require Maintenance?
Covered parking structures require minimal maintenance. They’re built of durable materials, designed to withstand weather damage, and last for many years. Quality parking structures can stand the test of time while protecting vulnerable vehicles parked underneath.
Are Covered Parking Solutions Waterproof?
Many covered parking solutions are water-resistant. Vehicle protection structures can be built with steel roofs or fabric canopies. If they’re made of fabric, it’s a quality fabric that’s designed and treated to withstand water. Of course, steel will also keep rain and snow off vehicles.
Are Vehicle Protection Structures Expensive?
Covered parking for police facilities is much less expensive than other solutions like parking garages. The total cost will depend on the materials used and the total area covered. However, canopy companies will work with departments to help them meet their goals within a desired budget range. Police facilities can reach out to companies for a specific quote!
Protect Police Vehicles With Structures From VPS
Looking for a way to reduce police vehicle expenses? Invest in vehicle protection structures to reduce required maintenance, keep equipment cool, and save on departmental costs. At VPS, we specialize in metal and fabric vehicle protection structures. We have over 30 years of experience serving clients with custom solutions that last for years.
Clients we’ve worked with in the past include project architects, auto dealerships, airports, and corporations. VPS has the capability to handle large projects, and we support clients from project design through construction and installation. Even after installation, we’ll stay in touch to help with maintenance questions. Our protection structures come in a range of designs so departments can find the best fit for their needs.
Contact us today for a customized assessment and project quote. We’ve worked with police departments before and are familiar with their needs!
