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Council questions police vehicle procurement and fleet replacement plans amid manpower shortages
Summary
Police leaders discussed vehicle replacement, a prior request for three unmarked cars and a federal grant for two specialized vehicles. Councilors asked about fleet size, replacement cycles and how year‑end personnel savings are used to purchase cars.
Council discussed several police fleet matters, including a federal grant for specialized vehicles, an earlier request for three unmarked patrol cars and the department’s vehicle replacement cycle.
Chief Joe Sakowski and Captain Larry Hendrickson said the department’s fleet includes roughly 75 vehicles and that unmarked cars are typically kept longer than marked patrol cars. The department said it tries to rotate permanent patrol cars on a roughly three‑year cycle; older unmarked vehicles in specialized units can be 12–13 years old and exceed 130,000 miles.
Council members asked about a prior end‑of‑year request to move personnel money into the vehicle line to fund three unmarked cars; Sakowski said the administration moved one vehicle purchase that year because no case was made for all three. He explained that, near year‑end, money unspent in personnel lines (often created by recruiting shortfalls) is sometimes transferred to vehicle lines to buy needed replacements while keeping the overall tax levy stable.
Councilors requested clearer advance materials in packets so they can perform due diligence on vehicle purchases. Sakowski said one recent federal grant required specialized vehicles (not patrol cars) and was fully federally funded with no local match; those specialized vehicle purchases are distinct from the general patrol fleet.
No formal action was taken; councilors asked that future vehicle requests include a current fleet inventory, replacement rationale and procurement timelines.
