Saugus cops in dire need of new cruisers

SAUGUS -Fifteen of the town’s 25 police cruisers, including unmarked cars, have topped 100,000 miles.New police cruisers are second on the town’s wish list should it receive any sort of financial boost but Police Lt. Michael Annese isn’t holding his breath.The Police Department has requested two new cars but Annese said it’s been a long time since the town has been in the position to fill requests for new cruisers.”We used to get a couple, sometimes three, each year,” he said. “Last year we got one.”And the department had to work for that one. Town Meeting members voted to buy a new rolling command center for the department, but it came in a Town Meeting article of its own – separate from the budget.While a few of the cruisers sport mileage in the area of 32,000, 42,000 and 49,000, there are three cars relegated to detail usage that carry 136,000 to 166,000 miles.”It’s very unsafe not just for the officers but for the public as well,” Annese said. “There are high-speed pursuits, times you need to brake quickly. The whole car has to be tighter than the average car and these (cruisers) do loosen up.”Annese admits the cars get banged around.”We fix them, but underneath they’re old,” he said.Annese said the department has a great fleet mechanic, Kevin Nichols.”I don’t know how he does it,” he said. “He finds the best deals, uses parts from one car on another. He’s amazing.”Despite Nichols’ talent, Annese said the department still needs new vehicles.”Route cars are a priority,” he said.Those are the cars used daily by on-duty officers. When the mileage gets too high on those vehicles, they are used for details. Others might be painted and used as unmarked vehicles. Annese said if the department were able, it would replace the three route cars as soon as possible.Which is what at least on Selectman would like to see happen.Stephen Horlick recently asked Town Manager Andrew Bisignani for a list of cruisers and mileage. Horlick said there have been at least two accidents with cruisers this year and a number of them have very high mileage.”The fleet we have is aging,” he said. “They should be rotating the older vehicles out and giving them to other department heads.”Horlick sidesteps how he would fund a program that would rotate new vehicles in and the old ones out on a yearly basis but said one needs to be developed.”We have cars with slipping transmissions, one where the brakes went out and another with a vibrating front end,” he said. “How dependable are they?”Annese doesn’t disagree with the idea but isn’t optimistic.”The cost of new vehicles is high and we want to bring on new officers,” he said. “It’s been about five years since we’ve had more than one new car, hopefully things will get better in the future.”Fleet Fitness:Year Make Mileage2002 Chevy Tahoe 106,9531996 Crown Vic. 107,8162007 Crown Vic. 42,8282006 Crown Vic. 54,6552007 Crown Vic. 49,6472005 Crown Vic. 73,5922003 Crown Vic. 113,1512005 Crown Vic. 103,2242000 Crown Vic. 136,3402002 Chevy Impala 95,7242001 Crown Vic. 123,8112000 Crown Vic. 143,0841999 Crown Vic. 130,2832005 Crown Vic. 85,9522002 Chevy Impala 106,1132001 Ford Expedition 32,4361993 Ford F250 TK 23,9151998 Crown Vic. 166,1882003 Crown Vic. 115,8591997 Ford Taurus 98,9311993 Olds Cutlass 75,1241995 Chevy Lumina 01,9041992 Crown Vic. 11,6361993 Crown Vic. 97,1711995 Buick Regal 24,428