NPD upgrading vehicles, emergency warning equipment

The Newton Police Department is upgrading their vehicle fleet with two new Ford SUVs and upgraded emergency equipment. City council approved the purchase of the vehicles from Charles Gabus Ford for $38,894 and replacement emergency warning equipment from Karl Chevrolet for $30,000.

“The department has two 2013 Chevrolet Caprice squad cars that have required significant maintenance and repair in order to keep them operating,” city administrator Matt Muckler said. “Annual repair costs for the 2013 units have averaged $7,000 each and both units have nearly 85,000 miles.”

Three bids were received for the vehicles with Charles Gabus Ford in Des Moines submitting the only bid including a trade in offer for the Chevrolet squad cars. The quoted price for both SUVs was $53,994 with $15,100 offered for the cars.

The SUVs will be paid for using funds from the fiscal year 2018 budget and bond funds.

The department will also be getting new emergency equipment including lights, sirens and electric control boxes for seven marked patrol vehicles. The current equipment is more than 15 years old and has had considerable malfunctions in the last two years of which parts are no longer made to repair or replace the units.

Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny has installed and maintained the department’s emergency equipment for more than five years and was selected to replace the emergency warning equipment in all seven vehicles.

Due to current malfunctions affecting the operations, the work to replace the units will start immediately. The department expects full installation in all of the vehicles to take approximately two to three months.

“The emergency warning equipment is vital for the safe response to incidents and warning community members of hazards or the presence of officers,” Muckler said. “The department recommends upgrading the emergency warning equipment to ensure the safety of the police officers and community and reduce the down time caused by malfunctioning units.”

The new equipment will be paid for using bond funding.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com