Colorado Springs police ask city for $1.1 million

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.

Police Lt. Howard Black said the department’s cruisers are meant to be replaced every four years or 90,000 miles, motorcycles every five years and the life of every other vehicle should be eight years or 80,000 miles. Currently, 153 police vehicles exceed both their mileage and age criteria for replacement.

With the extra money the department plans to buy about 22 marked cruisers, two marked service officer sedans, six unmarked sedans, one truck and a crime scene van, Black said.

If the council grants Carey’s request, the number of past-due vehicles will shrink to 103, Black said. However, up to 40 different vehicles will exceed their suggested lifespans over the course of the next year, bringing the total back up again.

Councilman Don Knight said if the appropriation is approved the money would be more of a loan.

Once the department’s new Sand Creek substation opens and the old one is sold, that money would reimburse the city’s general fund, Knight said.

Councilmen Merv Bennett, Bill Murray and Tom Strand supported the request, with Murray requesting that language about the general fund’s reimbursement be added to the ordinance granting the department the extra money.

The council will vote on the extra money on Feb. 13, said Eileen Gonzalez, City Council administrator.