Committee approves purchase of five police vehicles from Friendly Ford of Roselle

The Public Health & Safety Committee on Jan. 26 approved two resolutions authorizing the purchase of five police vehicles from Friendly Ford of Roselle as part of the department’s 2026 budgeted vehicle purchases.

Resolution A authorized the purchase of two 2026 Ford F-150 responder vehicles in the amount of $100,501.26. The police chief said Friendly Ford’s bid was lower than the State of Illinois joint purchasing and the suburban purchasing cooperative and noted that one of the two vehicles will be used as a community service vehicle and the other for administrative service.

Resolution B authorized the purchase of three 2026 Ford Explorer Interceptor utility vehicles in the amount of $143,446.89. The chief said these three would be marked patrol vehicles and again noted Friendly Ford’s competitive pricing relative to purchasing cooperatives.

A trustee asked whether accessories such as light bars are transferred from retiring vehicles or replaced; the chief said the department had changed its replacement plan, that lights are replaced on a schedule and older lights are removed because newer systems offer improved safety features. Committee members asked about delivery timing; the chief said previous purchases have arrived quickly and staff anticipate delivery in a couple of months.

Both resolutions were approved by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motions had a second and that the chair declared “the ayes have it.” No roll-call vote or named vote tallies were recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: Purchase contracts proceed per the department’s procurement process and fleet staff will outfit vehicles with required equipment.