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Police chief seeks $1.4 million to replace aging patrol fleet
Summary
The police chief asked the council for $1.4 million to buy 22 Durango patrol vehicles and two Harley motorcycles to replace high‑mileage cars and outfit newly graduated officers, citing safety concerns and repeated mechanical failures in older models.
The police chief asked the council for $1.4 million to replace a portion of the patrol fleet, saying the purchase would buy 22 Durango SUVs and two Harley motorcycles to refresh vehicles with high mileage and recurring mechanical problems. “We're asking for 1.4 million for vehicles. This will be for a patrol fleet,” the chief said, adding the replacement would reduce repair costs and improve officer safety on pursuits and high‑speed responses.
The chief told council members the department currently operates about 172 vehicles across patrol and traffic, with roughly 130 officers on patrol and several recently graduated officers who will need assigned cars. He said some vehicles show more than 100,000 miles and cited engine failures in certain Chevrolet Tahoes and other recurring maintenance issues as a driver of the replacement request.
Council members asked whether the request was for vehicles to fill vacancies or to maintain the existing fleet; the chief said the purchase was intended to maintain the current assigned fleet rather than to fill projected vacancies. He also confirmed the 22 vehicles would cover roughly the 20 most urgently replaceable units and would allow the department to outfit newly graduated officers.
The request was presented as part of the capital projects review; the transcript records questions and clarifications from council members but does not include a recorded vote on the funding.
Next steps: the item will remain in the capital projects packet for further consideration at a future council meeting.
