MONROE — Following years of frustration with its aging fleet of Dodge Durangos, city cops will soon have new rides, as the city has agreed to buy four new Ford police models to replace the bulk of its fleet.
Beyond the added functionality and reliability, the cars will improve the workplace for the officers, who basically live in them during much of their shifts — writing reports, conducting investigations, responding to accidents; and other emergencies.
“It’s their office, really,” said Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley.
On order, after over a year of hunting for the best deal, are four Ford Police Interceptors, based on the brand’s popular Explorer SUVs. The price tag is $44,711 per copy, for a total cost to taxpayers of about $179,000. The matter was on the Monroe Common Council’s regular agenda for its December 15 meeting.
The Fords are set to arrive in 60 to 90 days, but Kelley said there is always potential for further delays, as Ford is struggling to keep up for demand for its Interceptors. That model is the most popular police vehicle on the road, officials said, and much of the Green County Sheriff’s Office fleet also is made up of them.
They are based on the traditional Ford Explorer but have specialized engines (like EcoBoost), heavy-duty cooling/brakes, pursuit-rated tires, unique interiors, and police-specific tech. Though he isn’t sure if he’ll order it for Monroe, the Interceptors, for example, have new tech like the ability to sync all emergency lights with multiple vehicles at a given accident or crime scene.
Ideally, the chief said, the department should replace the fleet every two years and the move could not have come any sooner for the Dodge Durangos, which Kelley said were not as task-specific to police work as the Interceptor.
“We are (also) having mechanical difficulty with our Durangos,” he said.
About a year ago, Kelley was considering ordering the vehicles from an Illinois dealership who had them in stock, but eventually was able to find a Wisconsin dealer — Napleton, in Columbus — that participated in the state purchase program, making them a bit cheaper.
The cars are heavily used, even when they are not actually moving.
“In two (2) years we put about 90,000-100,000 miles on the vehicles by road miles. We also must idle the engines when stopping and parking during the shift, because turning them off chances the battery going dead due to the electronics we have in them,” Kelley wrote to the council, in a memo recommending the purchase. “This idling adds hours to the engine, making the actual mileage almost 150,000.”
The city looked at other vehicles beyond the Interceptor but there are few options. For example, Kelley said a Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle would cost another $10,000 over the Fords. The county operates a Ford F-150 in a marked configuration, but the Interceptors are by far the workhorse for cops nationwide.
As for aesthetics, Kelley said they plan to change up the city’s gray color scheme, going with a dark blue look with white doors — and of course the City of Monroe decals and striping.
