For the past month, the Greenwood Police Department has been using six leased SUVs as patrol vehicles as part of a new program designed to reduce the department’s maintenance costs.
“They seem to be working out really well. The officers really like them,” said Police Chief Ray Moore.
The 2015 Ford Explorers differ from their non-police SUV siblings, the chief said, by having a modified engine along with a beefier suspension. The vehicles are all-wheel drive, making them ideal for use in inclement weather, he said.
Moore said the vehicles also feature larger passenger compartments than the department’s fleet of aging Ford Crown Victoria sedans. That’s important for any physically larger officer who must also wear a gun belt, radio and bullet-resistant vest.
The Explorers also have a height advantage over the older Crown Victorias. Moore said, with the Crown Victoria, an officer must get out of the vehicle and then rise to standing position. With the Explorers, officers are practically standing on their feet when they step out, he said.
In addition, the gas mileage for the Explorers is comparabble to the Crown Victorias, he said.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams said the Explorers have been well-received.
“It’s been great. I’ve not had any complaints,” she said.
McAdams said she inspected and drove the vehicles before going ahead with the leasing.
“They handle well. They drive fast enough,” she said.
In addition, she said, there’s plenty of leg room and head room in the back for transporting suspects or accident victims.
The mayor said the pricing to lease the vehicles was better than what it would have cost to purchase them, plus the mileage is unlimited.
The city has moved toward lease-purchase agreements on a lot of vehicles, such as garbage trucks, under McAdams.
Maintenance on the Explorers, under the three-year lease, will be performed by Ford Motor Co., not the Police Department.
If the vehicles and the department are a good match, Moore said, “after three years, we pay them a dollar apiece and we own them.”
He said leasing police vehicles is likely to be the wave of the future.
“I can put five new vehicles on the road for what I can in putting money on those older cars,” he said.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
