New police cars will be on
the road at end of summer
BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — Some police will soon be cruising their beats in new cars. At its Feb. 3 meeting, the Borough Council authorized the purchase of four new patrol cars to replace four cars which have rolled up more than 125,000 miles each.
"They have been ordered and will be delivered toward the end of the summer sometime," Mayor Ann McNamara said. "Council does this every year. They automatically order four new cars to, in essence, rotate the fleet and ensure that all the cars are up to the wear and tear and speeds police cars need to travel. So, the oldest four are taken out of the police fleet each year and are replaced with the new." This year, four 1997 cars will be replaced with the new 2004 Ford Crown Victorias.
But the older cars are not retired to any sort of police car graveyard, either, McNamara said. "What we do is use them for other municipal purposes — anything that does not require them to endure the same pressures as when they are used for police purposes. For instance, we will turn them over to supervisors in other capacities who will use them to tool around town: code enforcers, first responders [emergency management], and people in that sort of position with the town."
Cars that there are no places for will be auctioned off. "This is really the most logical and feasible way to handle it," McNamara said. "And to keep the process going every year is a must. If you miss a year, it throws the cycle off. Also, the cars are quite affordable." For four sedans, the cost is $79,000. "This is the year for sedans," the mayor added.
The borough also has police sports utility vehicles as part of its fleet, and in alternate years, the SUVs are replaced to keep the police department’s 24 cruisers on patrol with its 39 officers.
The borough has a contract with the state to buy the specially equipped and heavier built cars for police purposes.
"With this special contract, the cars, even with all the bells and whistles, are quite affordable," McNamara said. "And they don’t have to be inspected. The state handles that as well and ensures that they are ready for the road."