COM 0140.005 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Michigan State Police Tests 2003 Patrol Vehicles satrol vehicles are among the most critical purchases that a law enforce- ment agency makes. For both large and small gencies, patrol vehicle purchases L_frequentlq' epresent the second largest ex- penditure, after personnel, in their annual operating budgets. Selecting a vehicle that balances both budgetary and performance requirements has become an increasingly challenging task for police fleet administra- tors. Many agencies are painfully aware of the consequences that result from being "penny wise and pound foolish," where vehicles with inadequate performance, such as regular production passenger vehicles not specifically designed for police service, are selected because they cost less than police - package vehicles. Although some agencies have had limited success with nontraditional police vehicles, most agencies find that the increased maintenance costs resulting from such vehicles breaking down under the stress of police service quickly offset any initial savings. For more than 25 years, the Michigan State Police (MSP) has conducted extensive evalua- tions of the performance capabilities of each new model year's police vehicles as part of its annual vehicle procurement process. Since 1981, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), through its National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system, has sponsored these tests through a partnership with MSP. By disseminating these (17) results to State and local law enforcement agencies, NIJ helps these agencies select vehi- cles that maximize their budgets and ensures that evaluated vehicles provide reliable and safe performance under the increased demands of police service. The 2003 model year patrol vehicles were evaluated from September 21 through 23, 2002. For the purposes of the MSP evalua- tion, police -package vehicles are those that are designed and manufactured for use in the full spectrum of law enforcement patrol service, including pursuits. A special -service vehicle is a vehicle that may be used by law enforcement agencies for specialized use (e.g., off-road, inclement weather, K-9, or commercial vehicle enforcement), but is not designed or manufactured to be used in high speed or pursuit situations. By creating this distinction, it is hoped that it will be easier for agencies to realistically assess the capabilities of each vehicle. Each vehicle is subjected to six major tests and evaluations. The results are weighted to reflect the relative importance of each attri- bute as related to MSP operational require- ments. Exhibit 1 lists the tests and point scores. MSP scores each vehicle's overall performance, reviews the manufacturer's bid price, and calculates a final score for each vehicle using a sophisticated formula that combines both factors.