SANDPOINT — City Council members unanimously voted Wednesday to approve the purchase of four new Ford Police Interceptors for the police vehicle take home program.

Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon asked council members last month to approve the program, which would allocate $200,000 of the existing $450,000 garage fund for the purchase of the new vehicles. At Wednesday's meeting, Coon said the total cost of the new vehicles is $118,104.

"This is just strictly for the purchase price of the cars," Coon said. "There is additional funding that we have set aside of that $200,000 that will be for outfitting — video cameras, cages, computer, lights, etcetera."

The program request from Coon came following issues with parking. Taking vehicles home will eliminate the need to build a new garage near City Hall, which was the original plan by the city. The $450,000 garage fund was previously budgeted for the planned structure, so the remaining $250,000 will go back into reserves.

One disadvantage to the take-home project is the liability exposure for the city with the officers using the vehicle to commute to and from work.

The program allows Sandpoint officers residing within a 15-mile radius of city limits to take their vehicles home, and their work begins when the vehicle enters city limits. Coon previously presented a study to the council that demonstrated vehicle longevity increases from six or seven years to up to 10 years when officers take the vehicles home. It also lowers repair costs and increases productivity.

According to the study done by the City of Tacoma, Wash., over the course of eight years, citizens feel safer with police cars parked in their neighborhoods and it helps to deter police activity.  Incidents requiring urgent responses from off-duty officers see a quicker response time and it increases officer morale and retention rates.

"I hope all the guys are excited about this," Councilwoman Deb Ruehle told Coon as she voted yes for the vehicles.