Galesburg City Council on Monday will consider pre-authorizing the purchase of 16 new pursuit vehicles for the city’s police department.
Council documents say the police department fleet is due for vehicle replacement in 2025, and a few vehicle purchases have been delayed for several years due to logistical reasons and supply chain problems.
Several factors have contributed to the ongoing volatile vehicle market such as COVID, global chip shortages, and the auto worker’s strike.
City staff are requesting to waive the normal purchasing policies and obtain prior purchasing authority from the City Council to spend up to $52,000 per vehicle to lock in the purchase as soon as the order bank opens.
With the high demand for police pursuit vehicles, the dealers expect the orders to be filled within a week.
The current fleet consists largely of 2020 Ford hybrid units, but some 2016 and 2012 models are still in use and are getting high in mileage.
Existing police units will be migrated to other departments as the Fleet Superintendent deems appropriate, and the vehicles utilized by those departments will be sold on Purple Wave.
City administration says it’s in the best interest of the city to replace vehicles with 2025 Ford Interceptor SUVs so vehicle equipment, like seats, cages, consoles, and lights, can be easily fitted into the new vehicles.
The pre-authorization that the Council can approve says the 16 vehicles will be purchased at a price not to exceed $832,000.