The Township Council unanimously approved a resolution July 2 to purchase and lease new police vehicles.
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
The Township Council unanimously approved a resolution July 2 to purchase and lease new police vehicles.
According to Mayor Janice Mironov, Police Chief James Monahan recommended the measure.
”We have a recommendation on this from the police chief,” Mayor Mironov said. “One is an outright purchase and four are leases.”
The mayor said the township received a U.S. Department of Justice grant for $18,178 toward the purchase and lease of the vehicles.
Chief Monahan discussed reasons for purchasing and rotating vehicles.
”Police vehicles are typically purchased annually, and earlier model vehicles are rotated out of the active police patrol fleet and converted to unmarked vehicles utilized by police detectives or used by other township departments as needed,” Chief Monahan said.
According to Chief Monahan, the purchase of the vehicles is part of an annual vehicle acquisition program for “effectiveness and safety.”
The police fleet is made up of 15 marked cars for patrol use and unmarked vehicles for detectives and administrative personnel. The department has 44 members, including the police chief.
The township has authorized the acquisition of five vehicles. Four vehicles will be leased at an annual cost of $36,974 over three years, and a fifth is being purchased outright at a cost of $26,264, according to Chief Monahan.
”Police vehicles are rotated regularly for patrol purposes in an effort to evenly distribute mileage throughout the fleet over extended periods of time,” Chief Monahan said. “The vehicles are used regularly for 12-hour shifts and accumulate approximately 2,000 miles per month.”
Thus, the continual public service of officers on duty patrolling the streets leads to immense wear and tear of law enforcement vehicles.
”The vehicles are equipped with heavy duty police package components, which generally exceed the capacity of standard production vehicles,” Chief Monahan said.
After evaluating an array of police vehicle packages and manufacturers, the township selected the 2014 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Sedan, according to Chief Monahan. He said this model best suits the needs and typical applications of the police department.
The vehicles are expected to arrive in the near future.”It’s expected that the vehicles will be ordered and received in the coming weeks,” Chief Monahan said.