ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Police Chief with a Request to APPROVE the PURCHASE of Two Used VEHICLES from a Peoria Car Dealership, in the Amount of $50,000.00.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Personnel assigned to the Special Investigation Division (SID) typically operate unmarked vehicles designed to blend in with civilian vehicles. SID officers conduct operations including but not limited to high-risk suspect apprehensions, undercover gun purchases, undercover drug buys, surveillance of drug complaint houses, open market drug dealing, burglary details, and prostitution details. SID officers are often requested to complete tasks for other units that cannot be completed utilizing traditional squad cars. SID officers are typically assisted by a marked or semi marked squad cars, but it is essential to use “plain” unmarked vehicles to conduct such operations. SID vehicles have been routinely loaned out or transferred to other units to perform these and other tasks as well.
The Special Investigations Division needs to replace current vehicles in the fleet. The vehicles were last updated in 2018, and are historically updated every 2-3 years (2007, 2009, and 2011). We currently have no vehicles that have been seized that are suitable or in good working condition to be used. Last year we traded in six vehicles to purchase one vehicle, and this cut our available surveillance vehicles by one third. Currently, investigators within SID utilize four vehicles with mileage over 150,000 with one of them having over 200,000 miles. The vehicles in the current fleet range in average age from 6 to 15 years old. Most of the vehicles in the fleet are 2017 or older. The vehicle exteriors are deteriorating with multiple cars showing clear coat/paint damage and several with rust issues. The maintenance on these vehicles continues to climb as would be expected given the year and mileage of the vehicles. In addition, many of the vehicles we are seeking to replace are instantly recognizable by the criminal elements we attempt to survey during drug or gun operations. This is due to significant use in undercover operations over time.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
These funds are available within the asset forfeiture accounts. This would be an authorized use of these funds as these vehicles would be utilized by Special Investigations officers during illegal drug investigations. Using these funds will not have any financial impact on any other aspect of the department or pending projects.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS:
None
IMPACT IF APPROVED:
These vehicles would update the current SID fleet, reduce maintenance costs, reduce the use of city garage resources to repair current high milage vehicles, and allow Special Investigations to utilize vehicles not yet known by criminal elements.
IMPACT IF DENIED:
The current fleet has several high milage vehicles. These vehicles if not continually replaced, will require additional maintenance costs and additional city garage resources in order to maintain the vehicles. Furthermore, the criminal element over time becomes familiar with vehicles used by SID investigators. If these vehicles are not continually updated and phased out, you have a higher probability SID covert operations will be compromised by their vehicles being identified by the criminal element.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER:
N/A
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Safe Peoria
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reduce crime.
DEPARTMENT: Police