Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey is asking the City Council to more than double the cash dedicated to replacing his fleet this year.
Already, more than a quarter of the department’s motorcycles, cruisers and other vehicles have surpassed their suggested lifespans and the others are only getting older and more worn, Carey told the council Monday as he requested a $1.1 million supplemental appropriation from the general fund.
The department has $950,000 from its 2018 budget to replace the oldest of its about-600-vehicle fleet, Carey said. That money will buy about 30 new vehicles, but last year the department wrecked 12 which need to be replaced, further diminishing the new vehicles that money will provide.
“Each year, CSPD falls further and further behind in its ability to replace its aging vehicles,” he said. “We’re asking for this funding now instead of waiting for the 2019 budget process because of how long it takes to receive and set up a new vehicles.”
Outfitting new police vehicles can take up to a year, Carey said. With an extra $1.1 million, the department could buy as many as 33 new vehicles.
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