Issue: Fleet maintenance procedures need to keep pace with cars and equipment.
Police cars may not look too different on the outside, but just think
about what's under the hood today and the new tools used by the officers who drive them.
Procedures must keep pace with changes, says Bob Hornsey of the St. Louis
County Police Department. Have your maintenance procedures been updated
since regular tune-ups became a thing of the past?
Hornsey recommends reviewing maintenance issues and procedures at least
every two years, and suggests some key areas to consider:
1. Ask these questions in analyzing your maintenance issues.
- Has your geographic area expanded so that you need to sublet some
service to outlining areas?
- Is it still cost effective to operate your own body shop?
- How are your electrical systems holding up under new equipment:
lightbars, lap top computers, radios, video cameras?
- Are you using manufacturer-supplied power sources for all police
equipment? ("It is especially important to use manufacturer's
power lines-- not tap into the electrical system--on
an Impala," Hornsey says.)
- Are you using repair records to help you make decision about future
purchases based on durability and ease of maintenance of current
equipment? ("For example, we have Code 3 MX 7000 lightbars that
have been in service twice as long as we expected," Hornsey says.)
- Have new auto parts changed maintenance requirements? ("We used to
change spark plugs every 30,000 miles, now it can be up to
100,000 miles," Hornsey says.)
2. Check with suppliers to keep up on equipment improvements or to
ask for adaptations to current equipment that could better suit
your needs. "We've used Code 3 equipment for as long as I can
remember, so we know we can consult them," Hornsey says. "For
example, WingMan lighting was originally designed for Crown
Victorias, but we asked Code 3 to redesign it for our Impala
fleet to provide rear lighting even when the trunk was open.
And we've talked to them about their LED light bars, which are
just about maintenance-free."
3. Make sure current procedures are adequate for actual wear and
tear on vehicles.
- Are you replacing brakes every 10,000 miles?
- Do you check for brake wear and exhaust problems every 3,000 miles?
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