Middletown chief outlines plan to replace aging fleet with leased, rotating cruisers

Chief Costa told the commission that the department is negotiating with Enterprise Fleet on a leasing and rotation plan that would provide dozens of new patrol cruisers and reduce maintenance burdens.

"They will give us 55 brand new cars," Chief Costa said when describing one package quote; he later described an initial quoted cost in the "$755,000 to $800,000" range for the package as presented in the meeting. The chief said the maintenance line is "around $170,000 a year" and currently about 70% expended, and that replacing older cars reduces safety and reliability risks.

The chief said replaced vehicles would be returned to the vendor and resold, generating resale value that helps sustain future rotations. He described specific operational concerns with older cars—citing carbon-monoxide exposure risk for officers sleeping in idling cars—and said technology and in-vehicle computing systems require newer platforms.

Commissioners asked about which services (retrofit, warranty) are included and whether leasing could create a tax-assessment issue; Chief Costa said most maintenance items would be included under the vendor package and that he has been checking with the assessor regarding tax consequences but that resale values will vary year to year.

Why it matters: The fleet proposal carries budget and operational implications: it may reduce maintenance spending and officer safety risks but could affect future appropriations depending on lease structure and resale values. The chief said the department has 93 vehicles total and anticipates cars will rotate every three years with average use estimated at about 25,000 miles per year.

Next steps: Chief Costa said staff will finalize figures and return to the commission before a formal vote and that a follow-up meeting with the vendor was scheduled.