WESTFIELD—Police are expected to get five new cruisers, pending the OK from the Westfield City Council.
Mayor Brian Sullivan requested an appropriation of $125,000 from City Council Thursday, which would be used toward the purchase of five police cruisers. The request will go to City Council’s Finance Committee, where it is expected to be deliberated before coming out to full council for vote.
We’re now at a place where we need to buy some cars,” Sullivan said during the City Council meeting Thursday, regarding the department’s fleet.
The $125,000 covers a portion of the total needed for the vehicles, and will be added to money coming from insurance reimbursement related to an accident that occurred with another police vehicle and trade-in of the vehicles, Sullivan previously said.
One of the cruisers used by Westfield Police
The five vehicles are replacing one due to an accident and four due to the vehicles’ mileage, according to Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe.
“The vehicles need to be replaced,” McCabe said. “After a certain number of miles they need to be turned over for a myriad of reasons.”
He said that “it’s been a while” since vehicles were replaced, though he could not specify a timeframe.
According to McCabe, the police cruisers, which can spend significant time on the road daily, have warranties that expire after 100,000 miles, and to keep them past this point is risky.
McCabe said that the cruisers average about 40,000 miles a year, meaning that within about 2 and a half years they reach that 100,000-mile mark.
According to McCabe, a new cruiser can cost up to $40,000, depending on what needs to be done on the new vehicle, as well as what equipment can be transferred from a previous vehicle to a new one. This can be impacted by issues such as motor vehicle accidents involving the cruisers being replaced, where items may become damaged.
At-large Councilor and City Council President Brent Bean said that the appropriation could come to City Council to vote as early as their next meeting, but that depends on what and when Finance Committee decides.
In addition, Bean said that it would require a super majority of nine votes by City Council for the appropriation to be approved, which he said is due to the money coming from the city’s stabilization account.
