By TEREASA NIMS
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE — A 2014 Ford Police Interceptor was expected to joined the police department fleet Friday.
“It was paid for with drug forfeiture money,” said Police Chief Chad Hayse, who picked up the SUV Thursday. “Every vehicle we’ve gotten in the past 10 years has been purchased with drug forfeiture money.”
Hayse said the City Council hasn’t needed to purchase a police car since 2004.
“We’ve bought 20 to 30 vehicles in the past 10 years,” Hayse said.
The fleet consists of 14 vehicles.
“If we get four years out of the cars, we’re doing good,” Hayse said.
He said the vehicles rack up mileage, and wear and tear.
“We have two to three cars in the shop and only one (other than the newest addition) of the vehicles has under 100,000 miles,” Hayse said.
(Tereasa Nims can be reached at [email protected])