The state Department of General Services is shopping for $10 million worth of new law enforcement vehicles, offering a boost to beleaguered automobile retailers.
Officials at General Services, the state's procurement arm, invited auto dealerships statewide – and the vehicle manufacturers they work with – to submit bids for police cruisers and SUVs earlier last month.
The deadline to submit prices and technical information is Thursday. Vehicles will be bought sometime between this fall and 2010, said DGS spokesman Eric Lamoureux.
"We're looking to leverage the total volume of vehicles that all the agencies purchase and drive the price down through one large contract, instead of each agency buying what they need on their own," Lamoureux said. "There's a need for state law enforcement agencies to replace vehicles that have been damaged in service but also to replace vehicles that have served beyond their normal life."
The state's shopping list includes about 1,800 cruisers and 100 SUVs, DGS bid documents show.
That's a boost for a sector hit by slow sales.
In Sacramento and Northern California more than a half dozen dealerships have closed this year.
The California Highway Patrol is typically the largest buyer of law enforcement vehicles in the state. It had 4,236 cruisers, motorcycles and command vehicles working state roads and freeways in 2007.
The CHP has bought Ford Crown Victorias in recent years but has added Dodge Chargers to its fleet of interceptors over the past year.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Fish and Game are also among buyers that will use the state contract for purchases. Local agencies can piggyback on state contracts, too.
CHP spokesman Tom Marshall said the department was reluctant to discuss its purchasing plans before the deadline for bids has passed.
"We certainly do need them, and we certainly intend to buy, but how many we'll buy and when, we're not sure," Marshall said. "We're going to have to look at our budget."
CHP cruisers travel various road surfaces and altitudes, ranging from 200 feet below sea level to 10,000 feet above sea level. The vehicles, often used in high-speed pursuits, can be exposed to harsh Sierra winters and temperatures up to 120 degrees in some desert and Central Valley areas.
Call The Bee's Andrew McIntosh, (916) 321-1215.
