Committee asks administration for cost‑benefit study of police take‑home vehicle program

Councilman Spadola asked the Wilmington City administration to prepare a cost‑benefit analysis on offering Wilmington Police Department officers a take‑home vehicle program during the Public Safety Committee meeting on March 10.

Spadola said the proposal is “first and foremost, a recruitment and retention issue,” pointing to other area jurisdictions that offer take‑home cars, and said officers leaving for nearby agencies that provide the benefit are a concern. He also told the committee that “95% of city residents are happy to see a police department vehicle parked on their street,” and described parked patrol cars as a crime deterrent.

Committee members discussed residency and distance limits for eligibility if the city chose to adopt the program. Spadola said other departments limit eligibility for officers who live outside the city to a set distance from agency headquarters; Council members suggested the administration could consider similar distance‑based limits if Wilmington were to use the program as a recruitment incentive.

Councilwoman Yolanda McCoy, chairing the committee, said the committee did not need to vote on the item at committee level and that the resolution will be scheduled for the full City Council meeting on April 3 for a council vote.

No new costs were confirmed at committee; members framed the study as a request for the administration to analyze upfront and ongoing costs against potential savings from reduced turnover and improved recruitment.

Next steps: the administration is expected to produce the requested cost‑benefit analysis for City Council consideration on April 3.