Jeannette police chief seeks to improve fleet of patrol cars

Jeannette police Chief Derek Manley is working on a system to better use the department’s fleet of patrol cars while adding three new vehicles.

One of them will be used to transport six portable scales that weigh a total of about 250 pounds and are needed for commercial motor vehicle enforcement.

“Adding to the fleet is going to help cut down on some maintenance costs,” he said.

Council approved purchasing the vehicles and scales Thursday. Most of the $203,500 cost will be covered by grants.

Since becoming certified in commercial motor vehicle enforcement, Manley said he has done about 10 inspections. It was a lengthy process he started last year before being named police chief. The addition of the scales will enhance those inspections, and violations related to weight limits could mean higher fines, he said.

City manager Ethan Keedy told council Tuesday that most of the cost for the three vehicles — two Ford Explorers and a Chevrolet Tahoe — and scales will be covered by grants with a few thousand dollars coming from the capital reserve.

Manley said purchases have been inconsistent over the past seven years he hopes to get a vehicle replacement program on track to make sure officers have safe and reliable equipment.

For now, he’s started assigning specific cars currently in the fleet to officers, rather than allowing them to pick the vehicle they want to use for their shift. He’s also finalizing a process for pre-shift inspections. Patrol vehicles each rack up between 900 and 1,400 miles a month, Manley said.

The fleet has seven vehicles, including two outfitted for police dogs and one used as the chief’s car. The remaining four are for patrols. With the purchase approved, extra vehicles will be added to the rotation, leaving spares if one is in the shop, Manley said.