By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY It looks like the Police Department will be saying goodbye to some of its old Ford Crown Victorias and hello to a couple of 2012 Chevy Impalas in the near future.
To continue bringing its aging police fleet up to speed, on March 21 the Township Committee agreed to buy three new police cruisers through a sublease agreement with the Somerset County Improvement Authority (SCIA). Under the agreement, the township will pay almost $108,000 in principal plus interest for the vehicles over a period of three years. After that, the township will pay $1 per car each year to the county.
Describing this particular county program as a “financing tool,” Township Administrator Donato Nieman said it has helped keep Montgomery’s police fleet sound for a number of years except in 2010.
The township skipped that year when it shrank its patrol fleet from 29 to 21 vehicles due to a reduction in the police force. However, this year the township received a batch of police cars it had ordered in late 2011. Mr. Nieman said the wait was due to the manufacturer being based in Australia.
He emphasized the importance of updating the police fleet, which often and quickly take a beating. In this case, the vehicles being replaced are about a decade old, have more than 100,000 miles and have had more than their fair share of run-ins with deer.
”It’s important to keep the fleet fresh because where you might save money avoiding a brand new purchase, you will see repairs become more expensive and more frequent,” said Mr. Nieman. “And we run our vehicles into the ground until we have to get a new one.”
The purchase also allows the township to continue in its endeavor to eventually convert its entire fleet to Impalas. Since Crown Victorias went out of production, police departments throughout the state have been introducing three acceptable models into their patrol fleets: the Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala and the Dodge Charger.
The township opted for the Impala because it was more fuel and energy efficient, had more interior room and unlike the Charger, had a less “hot rod-esque” image that Mr. Nieman said might send the wrong message about the township. Also, police officers preferred rear wheel drive, which would lessen the impact should the car have to jump a curb or do a little off roading.
”The prices were all close, it was just which vehicle best met our needs and we decided it would be the Chevy Impala,” said Mr. Nieman.
If they still have an ounce of life left in them, the retiring Crown Vics will become part of the civilian fleet.
If not, Mr. Nieman said the township will auction them off and the proceeds will go into the municipal surplus.
Not only will the police be receiving new cruisers, but will also soon be getting a few new cadets. For the first time in a decade, the township is proactively recruiting new cadets to fill the impending holes due to retirements and two officers going on extended leave. That evening, Police Captain Bob Palmer gave a brief update on the 200 applicants seeking a position with Montgomery’s men and women in blue.
Out of all the applicants, 155 showed up to the Lower Middle School on March 16 to complete the written and physical agility testing. Passing with a score of 75 or higher on the written exam, 66 candidates went on to the physical agility portion. Capt. Palmer said these individuals were given exactly one minute to scale hurdles, complete a long jump, walk a balance beam and make it through an obstacle course while carrying police equipment and an oxygen unit.
”It’s being able to have a diverse speed and energy and possessing a certain degree of flexibility,” said Capt. Palmer. “That test has been utilized with success for a number of years I took it in 1979.”
Fifty-one participants passed the physical exam. From there, the department looked at the top 10 written exam scores and created a final pool of 25 candidates that passed the physical exam as well as had written scores that fell within the top 10.
Twenty-six candidates that passed both exams, but didn’t score in the top 10 on the written are still eligible should police and elected officials not find anyone suitable from the initial interviews.
Mr. Nieman, who attended the testing day, commended the department for running an organized and well run evaluation.
”Officers, lieutenants and sergeants did an exceptional job,” he added. “Many candidates even complimented us on our organization it was a fine job.”
In the best case scenario, the township is hoping to hire the cadets sometime in the spring so it can send them to the police academy, which begins in June.

