CDA police seek $365K for 7 vehicles

COEUR d'ALENE — The Coeur d'Alene Police Department on Tuesday will ask the City Council for the green light to spend more than $350,000 for new police vehicles.

And they need to move fast on acquiring the seven Ford Explorers because new police-rated patrol vehicles are in short supply and wanted by other law agencies.

"Moving quickly on these seven vehicles is essential in staving off the premature expiration of the existing fleet," a city report said.

Police are requesting six new patrol vehicles to replace high mileage, worn ones. The vehicles are included in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget.

The department will also use insurance money and police vacancy savings to replace one patrol vehicle totaled in a collision.

The total cost is projected at $365,470.

The department's vehicle order in October 2022 was canceled by the manufacturer.

The fiscal year 2022-23-approved vehicles that should have been on the road since June were delayed until as late as January.

"The fleet will continue aging at an expediential rate while we wait for these replacement vehicles," the report said.

The only vehicles available for purchase were randomly fulfilled orders by various dealerships around the country, according to the city report.

"Unfortunately, whenever one of these dealerships received an order, agencies around the country begin the feeding frenzy to acquire these vehicles," the report said.

On Sept. 15, police received information that Chalmers Ford in New Mexico received a shipment of 20 police Ford Explorer Interceptors.

Within a few hours, 11 of the vehicles were purchased by another agency.

Coeur d'Alene police quickly researched options and costs and after consulting with City Administrator Troy Tymesen, placed an order with the dealer to hold the vehicles "as there were several other agencies" vying for them.

"No other vendor with vehicles available could be located and these particular vehicles were being courted by many other agencies," a city report said. "Any delay in claiming these vehicles would have resulted in them going to other purchasers."

The city report said because of short supply and high demand for police vehicles, the 14-day timeline for public notice of bid requests "would not have been possible. Failure to move on these currently available vehicles would have resulted in the Police Department not acquiring the vehicles needed to replace worn, high-mileage vehicles."

The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Library Community Room.