City Council Approves 25 New Cop Cars

SFPD says its fleet is aging.

The city of Santa Fe is planning to buy 25 new vehicles for the Police Department.

With add-ons like keyless entry and tinted windows, the new vehicles—which include 19 marked patrol units and six unmarked detective units—will cost just over $1 million.

SFPD just purchased 30 vehicles last year. Department brass say the union contract that covers the 166 sworn officers mandates that each one of them get a police vehicle. Officials say they are saving money by using equipment such as radios from police vehicles already sent to the auction block. 

SFPD further says in a memo that it does not currently have a set replacement schedule based on vehicle conditions, like age and mileage. The Department just auctioned off 18 vehicles on Sept. 7 because they were deemed “red-lined”—when a vehicle ages to the point that major mechanical repairs of the engine or driveline are required. Seven SFPD vehicles, including a Camaro and Corvette, were sent to the auction block last March.

The new vehicles are set to be Ford models—21 Taurus sedans and four SUV Explorers. SFPD says the department still has over 43 vehicles in its fleet with over 100,000 miles on them and that it's currently compiling historic fleet data in preparation for a comprehensive vehicle replacement schedule based on age and mileage.

Santa Fe Reporter

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