The City of Rockford, Ill., will vote on a leasing plan for 28 new patrol cars as part of a five-year, $6 million vehicle replacement plan. The city’s Finance & Personnel Committee has approved the leasing plan, according to the Rock River Times.
The city will own the police vehicles at the end of the lease.
The Rockford fleet consists of 459 vehicles, according to city documents. In 2012, the city created a vehicle leasing program for the replacement of capital equipment. This lasted for two years and was discontinued due to budget constraints. Vehicle purchases were made on an as-needed basis since 2014, so many vehicles in the fleet are aged, including several emergency response vehicles. Vehicle maintenance costs totaled more than $3 million in 2017.
The five-year replacement program focuses on vehicles not yet replaced since the leasing program began in 2012, primarily fire suppression equipment, sedans, SUVs, and trucks. It also calls for regular replacement of front-line public safety vehicles.
