In an effort to save both money and energy, Utah's Salt Lake City Police Department is planning to add four or five hybrid vehicles to its 450 car fleet.

At a cost of $23,084, each hybrid will cost the department $4,000 more than a gas-fueled car. However, the hybrids get up to 10 miles more per gallon than traditional police cars— a serious advantage for a department that spends $1.5 million on gas every year.

The new cars are part of the police department's plan to replace 20 percent of its fleet with hybrids each year.

With only 12 hybrids currently in its fleet, the department has a long way to go, but it deserves credit for thinking of environmentally friendly ways to save jobs and money in a tight economy.