WHEELING, W. Va. (WTRF)-The city of Wheeling is taking a step forward with purchasing 19 new police cruisers totaling nearly $1 M.
The city council unanimously passed this motion Tuesday night.
It’s all part of the department’s new assigned vehicle program.
These 19 new cruisers mean every patrolman will have their own vehicle, instead of sharing the vehicles. Currently, the department is sharing a fleet of patrol vehicles running in a continuous 24-hour-rotation.
The chief believes this won’t only save the city money in the long run but will also help the department run more efficiently.
“We believe we will be experiencing some cost savings as it relates to fuel, but even more so is the high visibility, the emergency response time that we will experience with these officers having their own cruisers.”
Chief Shawn Schwertfeger, Wheeling Police
Although the city approved the AVP program a time ago, supply chain issues have delayed the process of buying these vehicles.
After the vehicles are purchased, they will be outfitted with radios and dash cameras.