Calif. Police Department to Spend $2.3M to Replace Part of Fleet

The Modesto Police Department will purchase 27 Ford Interceptors and two Chevrolet Tahoes as part of a move to replace vehicles that are getting high in mileage and repair costs.

By Trevor Morgan

Source The Modesto Bee

Oct. 17, 2025

2 min read

What to know

The Modesto City Council approved $2.3 million to replace 27 police interceptors and five Chevrolet Tahoes, three of which will go to the fire department.
Many of the vehicles targeted for replacement have exceeded their original cost in maintenance, with repair expenses totaling about $2 million.
Police Chief Brandon Gillespie said Ford and Chevrolet are the only manufacturers offering pursuit-rated police vehicles with necessary equipment packages.

The Modesto Police Department will purchase 27 Ford Interceptors and two Chevrolet Tahoes as part of a move to replace vehicles that are getting high in mileage and repair costs. — Modesto, CA, Police Department.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to spend $2.3 million to replace part of the Modesto Police Department’s vehicle fleet.

The vote authorized the purchase of 27 Ford Interceptors from Folsom Lake Ford and five Chevy Tahoes from Winner Chevrolet in Colfax. Three of the Tahoes will go to the Modesto Fire Department.

Most of the vehicles MPD marked for replacement aren’t necessarily old but are getting high in mileage and repair costs, according to the city.

“It’s very important that we have vehicles that are available in service that, again, can provide the service needed for our community,” said city Director of Finance DeAnna Christensen.

Of the 27 police interceptors marked for replacement, the city has spent more on maintenance and repairs than the original cost for 22 of them. Total dollars spent on repairs and maintenance of these vehicles since they were purchased is about $1.8 million. When factoring in the five Tahoes, the total is just over $2 million.

The oldest interceptors marked for replacement were purchased in 2015 and the newest were purchased in 2020. Among those, the vehicle with the lowest mileage measured 59,157 miles and the highest was 146,000 miles. The Fire Department still has 2003 and 2007 model year Tahoes, both of which have mileage over 100,000 miles.

The agenda item to purchase the vehicles was pulled from the council’s consent calendar by public speaker Kevin McClarty. The consent calendar is a list of agenda items voted on at once to save time. Consent calendar items do not have public comment or discussion. A member of the public can request any item be pulled from consent for discussion.

Asked by McClarty if the city would consider using foreign-made vehicles that could be more reliable, MPD Chief Brandon Gillespie said Ford and Chevy are the only brands that make vehicles that are “pursuit rated” and come with “police packages.” Christensen noted that no local dealerships placed a bid for this purchase.

_________________________________

Visit www.modbee.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.