Board approves one‑year trial leasing sheriff vehicles through Unified Fleet Services to speed up upfitting

The Merced County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Aug. 26 to approve a one‑year Category‑1 pilot allowing the sheriff’s office to lease patrol vehicles through Unified Fleet Services and to centralize vehicle upfitting and procurement.

Lieutenant Bassi, who oversees fleet services for the sheriff’s office, told the board the department faces aging patrol vehicles, long delays between vehicle delivery and upfitting and an inefficient procurement process that often leaves cars out of service for months. “The current model is not working,” he said, and described the proposal as a way to “streamline purchasing and upfitting” and get vehicles back on the road faster.

Unified Fleet would place bulk orders, drop‑ship patrol units to an approved upfitter, and deliver patrol‑ready vehicles to the county, the lieutenant said. The standardized approach aims to produce faster turnarounds and consistent vehicle wiring and equipment so deputies rotating between cars encounter the same controls.

Supervisor Silvera, who said he helped connect the sheriff’s office with Unified Fleet, acknowledged the plan will increase near‑term costs but argued the county would gain operational efficiency, more predictable long‑term vehicle value and faster replacement turnaround. “It doesn’t save us money. This costs us additional resources. But what we gain is efficiency,” Silvera said.

The board approved the pilot with the understanding it is an initial step; staff will return with results after the trial period. The motion was made by Supervisor Silvera and seconded by Supervisor Pacheco; the vote was unanimous.