MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake residents will soon be seeing two new police vehicles patrolling city streets.

The Moses Lake Police Department requested authorization from the council to purchase two new police vehicles through a municipal lease/purchase agreement with Umpqua Equipment Leasing and Finance. The total for purchasing the two new vehicles, plus the additional equipment needed to retrofit the vehicles for police purposes and labor/installation, will cost the city $107,747.

“The one thing that I definitely want to convey for the public, this isn’t any new money. We are not looking to borrow any additional money, this is within the bounds of the money you (the council) have already given authorization,” Deputy City Manager Gilbert Alvarado told the council.

The MLPD currently has a fleet of 12 patrol vehicles, with the problem being that two of the vehicles are permanently out of service because of mechanical issues, which have high repair costs. Three of the vehicles have over

100,000 miles, three have over 90,000 miles and three others have logged over 80,000 miles, according to city documents. The only vehicle the MLPD currently has in its fleet that has under 80,000 miles is the former “Captain's” vehicle, which was recently retrofitted to become a patrol car due to the department’s shortage of adequate vehicles.

“Of the 12 patrol cars we have they are running at least two shifts a day. Sometimes more, so they are running 18 to 20 hours a day, if not more,” MLPD Chief Kevin Fuhr explained. “We have a desperate need to keep our officers in cars that are reliable enough to get them to where they need to go.”

The vehicle that is ready for the city to immediately purchase is a 2016 Ford Utility Police Interceptor, which is factory equipped for $35,747. Additional equipment for the vehicle is going to cost about $17,000. The second vehicle is going to be purchased through a state contract for $55,000, with the price including equipment upgrades. Fuhr said the first vehicle can be expected to be on the road in two weeks, while the second vehicle should be ready and patrolling city streets by early November.

The council unanimously voted to approve the request to purchase the two new vehicles.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com