FEATURE Ford Credit Increases the Fleet
Chief Ruden had an entire new fl eet, al- most overnight.
The Ford Police Interceptor Sedan is available in four different powertrains: two FWD, two AWD. The 2.0L EcoBoost has the best fuel economy of any full-size sedan. The 3.5L EcoBoost has the power of the biggest police V8s.
police department, which had 43 sworn of- fi cers. With layoff s and attrition, the police department was reduced from 43 sworn to just 19 sworn. Budget cuts also aff ected the police
fl eet, which at one time issued take-home cars for the offi cers. With no money for new vehicles, the once proud fl eet of 39 vehicles became a rag-tag collection of various years of Ford CVPI and Expedi- tion, Dodge Charger and Durango, and Chevrolet Tahoe. Many of these vehicles were purchased used from other agencies and came in diff erent colors and markings. T e newest vehicle in the fl eet was a 2007 Dodge Charger. At this point, reliability was becoming
a major issue and mechanical breakdowns became the norm, rather than the excep- tion. T is caused the city to pay out huge amounts of money in repairs just to keep the fl eet operational. “My offi cers were breaking down while responding to critical incidents and assistance calls,” complained Dan Ruden, Lincoln’s interim police chief. “I couldn’t wait anymore for the economy to improve.” As with any law enforcement agency, vehicle reliability issues can greatly impact safety, both for the offi cers and the public at large. Chief Ruden was greatly concerned with
fl eet issues and desperately scraped the bot- tom of the proverbial barrel for new ve- hicle funding. Despite his best eff orts, the most money he could scrape together was about $50,000. T is was barely enough
54 Police Fleet Manager Mar-Apr 2014
money to purchase and fully upfi t one po- lice package sedan. With the condition of the rest of the fl eet, one new car was defi - nitely not enough, so Chief Ruden looked to other alternatives. One alternative was to continue purchasing other agencies’ cast-off vehicles, such as from the Utah Highway Patrol.
Have You Considered Leasing? Chief Ruden contacted Dan Raimondi, a fl eet specialist at Folsom Lake Ford, a major supplier of fl eet vehicles to the State of California as well as other law enforce- ment agencies in the area. Raimondi sug- gested Chief Ruden seriously consider leasing vehicles through Ford’s Municipal Lease/Purchase Financing Program. As it happened, Lincoln’s city fi nance director, Bill Zeoni, had heard about Ford’s program and was open to Ruden’s idea. While the money in the police bud- get would barely cover the purchase cost of one upfi tted cruiser, Chief Ruden could now project additional maintenance, re- pair, and fuel savings and was now able to raise enough money to lease an entire new fl eet of 15 vehicles. Since Folsom Lake Ford is a major fl eet
vendor, Chief Ruden was able to piggy- back his order with a larger existing order, thus obtaining an even better bang-for-the buck. Lehr Auto Electric, in Sacramento, then upfi tted the vehicles with everything but the radios, which the city supplied.
Offi cer Safety – Offi cer Morale Response to the new police fl eet was over- whelming—to say the least. T e morale within the department improved, and so did the public confi dence with the police. Many consider Chief Ruden a hero as with little capital outlay, he was able to replace his dilapidated fl eet with new vehicles that are more reliable, consume less fuel, and present a positive image to the police de- partment. “We had a dying fl eet that was literally
putting my offi cers and the public at risk every day, and replaced it with 15 brand- new, fully equipped cars with warranties and maintenance agreements; and we did it without increasing the budget by a single dollar,” Ruden said. “It was a big win for the department and the city.”
Benefi ts T ere are many benefi ts to leasing through Ford’s Municipal Finance Program. Fi- nancing costs are relatively low, and are tax-exempt. T ere is an initial $425 under- writing fee; however, this is a fi xed fee, no matter how many vehicles are included in the lease. Any attached equipment, acces- sories, extended warranties, sales tax, Ford ESP, and other costs may be included in the amount fi nanced. T ere is no down payment or security deposit required, nor tacked-on charges for wear and tear, main- tenance or return provisions, nor are there any mileage restrictions. Payment schedules are flexible, and
can be arranged on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or yearly basis, with the fi rst payment due at the time of delivery. T ere are no prepayment penalties. Title to the vehicle will be listed in the name of the lessee, and Ford Credit is listed as the lien holder. Lease terms can range from 2–5 years and at the end of the lease, the ve- hicle can be purchased for $1.00. T ere is a non-appropriations clause, which allows penalty-free return of vehicles if funds are not appropriated and allows for classifi ca- tion as short-term debt. Agencies eligible to participate in this program include state and local govern- ment entities—counties, cities, townships,
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