Lower Gwynedd Board OKs $99K in New Police Vehicle Purchases

A new SUV for a new chief.
Lower Gwynedd Township Supervisors Tuesday night approved $99,888 in new vehicle purchases for the police department, including a new $32,930 Ford Explorer for Chief Paul Kenny.
"The Chevy Envoy that the chief is currently driving is fairly new, and has many more life miles in it, but the car that the lieutenant (Bruce Hames) drives is the 2004 Ford Explorer, with almost 100,000 miles," said township Manager Larry Comunale. "We are proposing a new car for the new chief, so that the Envoy can be passed down to the lieutenant."
The department will also be getting two 2014 Chevrolet Tahoes totaling $66,958 to replace a 2007 and 2008 high-mileage SUV.
The $66,958 would be budgeted from the 2014 township budget. The $32,930 for Kenny's new SUV would be appropriated from the 2013 capital reserve fund, according to Comunale.
"We have been notified by General Motors that they are taking orders for 2014 cars up to Sept. 2," Comunale said, "so this is the last meeting before that date. They would not be delivered until next year."
Comunale said the purchase of the two Tahoes would be included in the 2014 budget.
"The two Tahoes would be replacing 2007 and 2008 vehicles with high miles. They are essentially the workforce of our patrol fleet and we've had very good luck with them," Comunale said. "It's unclear whether Chevrolet will be providing a police package for the Tahoes in the future."
Comunale said that since the new Tahoes are the same dimensions as the high-mileage vehicles, police equipment can be moved into the new vehicles, saving the township between $5,000 and $7,000 per vehicle.
"We won't have to buy a new cage, and the storage areas in the back for files and such will fit in the new car," Comunale said.
Lower Gwynedd Township Police is not the sole entity to benefit from the purchase of two new Tahoes—Wissahickon Fire Co. and Community Ambulance Association, Ambler could also benefit by receiving the two high-mileage vehicles.
Supervisor Ed Brandt asked if the vehicles would be taken to auction after being stripped down for replacement. Comunale said that, in the past, replaced vehicles have been offered to the fire company and ambulance corps.
"We found that the Tahoes are in demand by fire companies and ambulances," Comunale said.  
Furthermore, the township public works department will benefit from the purchases.
Comunale said the 2004 Ford Explorer currently driven by Kenny would be used by public works for running errands and so forth.