IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers NEW TO THE FLEET—Randy Tate, maintenance supervisor for the Simi Valley Police Department, shows off the force's new hybrid vehicle last month. The first in the department, the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid gets an estimated 34 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The vehicle will be used primarily by Police Services Assistance, generally citizen employees, for parking enforcement, traffic control, special events and street closures.