Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, has made a significant donation to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, gifting them a fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks, as confirmed by the department to TechCrunch.

This latest donation is part of a longstanding relationship between Horowitz and the Las Vegas police, which TechCrunch detailed in a report last year. Over the past few years, Horowitz has donated over $7 million to the department, with the majority of these funds being used to purchase technology from companies within Andreessen Horowitz’s portfolio.

Notably, TechCrunch’s investigation found that the police department has, at times, allowed Horowitz to provide input on the deployment of this technology. This level of involvement has raised questions about the nature of their relationship and the potential implications for transparency and accountability.

The donation of the Cybertruck fleet was first announced by Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill on February 25 during his annual “state of the department” address. Initially, the donor was anonymous, with McMahill stating that the trucks would not be funded from the department’s budget. However, the Las Vegas Review-Journal subsequently reported that the trucks were donated by Horowitz and his wife, Felicia, also citing their role in funding the department’s LPRs drones.

Sheriff McMahill emphasized the benefits of the Cybertrucks, stating, “We want these vehicles because they will keep our officers safe, no matter the situation. They are bulletproof and will also serve as a significant recruitment tool for our department.”

According to McMahill’s speech, the department is set to receive 10 Cybertrucks. However, a department spokesperson, who wished to remain unnamed, informed TechCrunch that Horowitz actually donated 11 vehicles. Horowitz did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.

It’s worth noting that Horowitz’s previous donations to the Las Vegas police were made through the department’s nonprofit police foundation, a funding method that has been criticized by police accountability advocates for lacking transparency and potentially undermining fair competition. In contrast, the department indicated to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the Cybertruck donation was not made through the police foundation, although the exact nature of the donation remains unclear, as the department did not provide further details to TechCrunch.