Waterloo regional police plan to spend over $4 million to purchase 70 new police vehicles next year.
The Waterloo Regional Police Services Board will be asked to approve the pre-budget procurement of the hybrid Ford Explorers next week.
The purchase includes over $3.9 million for 68 vehicles scheduled for replacement, funded through the WRPS' police vehicle reserve fund.
The two additional vehicles will support the expansion of 19 sworn officers hired this year, says a report being tabled next week. Those vehicles will be purchased at an estimated cost of $156,000, funded with development charges.
The goal is to purchase hybrid vehicles to reduce fuel costs and green house gas emissions, the report says.
That plan, however, is dependent on availability of hybrid vehicles.
In 2023, Ford would only allocate one hybrid Explorer for every four gas units purchased, which meant only seven of the 39 marked patrol SUVs purchased this year were hybrids, the report says.
Ford has not indicated what the allocation will be in 2024.
"Hybrid and/or electric vehicles will be considered for other areas of the service, ensuring they will be able to meet the functional need of the area while reducing our carbon footprint," the report says.
WRPS will introduce two electric vehicles to the fleet in 2024. They will be assigned to the General Investigations Unit.
WRPS will have forty 40 hybrid vehicles in the fleet by the end of 2023.
The acquisition is being undertaken in accordance with the Waterloo Regional Police Services' Purchasing By-law and the draft 2024-2033 capital plan will be prepared to reflect the recommended vehicles and equipment for 2024, the report says.
