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Chief Walls urges fleet replacements, warns of supply limits and legal constraints on drug-fund purchases
Summary
Police Chief Walls outlined a deteriorating fleet, recommended replacing Durangos with more durable Tahoes, and said three vehicles could be purchased from budgeted funds while a fourth might come from asset-forfeiture/drug funds, but cautioned the department must follow DOJ rules or risk losing access to forfeiture money.
Chief Walls presented a detailed briefing on the police fleet during the council's work session, saying the department has suffered repeated breakdowns with its Dodge Durango patrol units and that Chevrolet Tahoes are more durable.
"The Durango's are not durable, which is why we've tried to switch over," Chief Walls said, noting Tahoes "are about $5,000 to $6,000 more expensive on the front end, but they're considerably less expensive on the back end" and are expected to last 7–8 years versus 4–5 years for Durangos (Chief Walls, SEG 873–891). He said four Tahoes were being held for the department; three would be purchased with previously approved budget funds and a fourth possibly with asset-forfeiture (drug) funds.
Council members pressed for fund balances and upfitting costs. Staff reported the Lloyd Equipment Fund had $144,000 remaining (50% of a $288,000 budgeted line), the Federal Drug Fund had roughly $250,000, the Local Drug Fund about $18,600 and the TOW Fund about $28,700; upfitting a vehicle (lights, radio, crate) was estimated at $10,000–$12,000 per vehicle (finance update, SEG 1310–1324; SEG 1312–1316).
Chief Walls cautioned that drug-forfeiture funds carry legal restrictions and misusing them could result in losing access; he said the department follows DOJ rules and avoids substituting drug-fund spending for budgeted general-fund purchases (SEG 1371–1380). He also provided examples of high-cost repairs on Durangos (power modules, oil cooler failures, electrical issues) that require outsourcing because the town garage is better equipped for Chevys than Dodges.
Why it matters: the fleet replacements and funding plan affect public-safety operations, ongoing maintenance costs and how the town uses restricted asset-forfeiture money. The issue will return as the council considers purchase timing and exact funding sources.
Next steps: staff will share detailed vehicle-cost spreadsheets, clarify hours-based maintenance tracking for Chevys, and return with formal purchase proposals if the council supports procurement.
