Photo by Paul Clinton.
The City of Philadelphia has begun replacing its aging marked police vehicles with Ford Police Interceptor sedans, including an order of 100 that will begin arriving this week.
The latest order will allow the City's fleet manager to replace 100 2003 Crown Victoria Police Interceptors and Chevrolet Impalas from model years 2004, 2005, and 2006.
In some cases the aging patrol vehicles have odometer readings exceeding 200,000 miles. The aging vehicles have been a sticking point with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, the officers' union representative.
The agency was able to purchase 25 Ford P.I. sedans last year. In July of 2012, the agency issued new Chevrolet Impalas after several years of a budgetary freeze on vehicle purchasing. The 2012-'13 fiscal year marked the first budgeted funds for new patrol cars in several years, Police Magazine reported.
The purchase order for the Ford P.I. sedans was issued following a competitive bidding process for a police pursuit sedan, said Christopher Cocci, the city's fleet manager.
The new patrol cars cost the city $26,573 each. The replaced vehicles have a residual value of about $500 or scrap value. Going forward, the agency will likely purchase new vehicles each fiscal year, Cocci said.
"We will try to purchase 100 to 125 sedans plus some unmarked and SUVs depending on available funding," Cocci told Government Fleet.
