Kane sheriff wants new squad cars

The Kane County Sheriff's Department will purchase 10 new Ford Crown Victorias for $277,500 under a plan recommended by the county board's judicial/public safety committee this week.

The marked squad cars will replace 10 high-mileage vehicles that have become too costly to maintain and unsafe to drive, Sheriff Pat Perez said. Mileage totals on the existing cars range from 94,000 to 139,000 miles.

"Running at high speeds through red lights, if you lose a steering component or ball joint or suspension, you've got a car out of control, endangering our people behind the wheel and the public," Perez told the committee.

Funds from the fiscal 2007 budget surplus will be used to make the purchase, Finance Director Cheryl Pattelli said.

A consultant hired by the sheriff's office recommended implementing a five-year replacement program for squad cars. Cars should be retired when they reach 75,000 miles, the consultant said.

Sheriff's deputies each are assigned individual cars and typically rack up 20,000 to 30,000 miles a year, Perez said.

Committee Chairman Jim Mitchell suggested the county board develop vehicle replacement procedures for all county departments so all requests are handled uniformly.