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Hamilton police warn zero vehicle purchases in 2025 budget will strain fleet as lead times stretch to 16 months
Summary
The police chief told council the 2025 capital budget includes no vehicle purchases and warned that procurement lead times and high mileage across the fleet could reduce operational readiness in 2026–27.
Hamilton’s police chief told the township council that the 2025 budget contains no capital funding for replacement patrol vehicles, and he warned that long manufacturer lead times and upfitting schedules will worsen fleet availability in 2026 and 2027.
“As of right now, 0,” the chief said when asked how many vehicles the department is buying in 2025. He and other department officials told council the police fleet includes 36 marked vehicles (two motorcycles and one transport van among them) and that patrol cars accumulate roughly 35,000–40,000 miles per year. The chief said departments typically get “2 to 3 years out of each patrol vehicle” before maintenance and reliability costs rise.
Council members pressed for specifics about lead time and the effect…
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