The city has purchased 20 police vehicles, overcoming a backlog created last year when Ford Motor Co. said it could not deliver an order from Joliet because of what city staff said were supply chain issues.
Joliet – since then – has been looking for options and it seems it found one with the order approved last week by the City Council.
The council approved the purchase of 20 Ford police cars from Morrow Bros. Ford in Greenfield, Illinois for $813,400.
The purchase comes after last fall Ford Motor Co. canceled a city order for 25 police vehicles worth just over $1 million over what city officials said appeared to be supply chain issues.
City officials said at the time that they would look at options to replenish the aging fleet of police vehicles.
A staff memo to the City noted that area dealers are unable to provide a delivery date “therefore, Morrow Bros. Ford Inc. is currently our only avenue open to obtain these vehicles in the short term.”
Morrow Bros. is a former state government supplier of Ford vehicles that reflect specifications set by Joliet, according to the staff memo.
“We need the cars and we have a good deal on them,” City Manager James Capparelli said at City Hall last week.
In 2020, the City Council approved a $4.5 million bond funded by a city gas tax increase to pay for new vehicles, including squad cars.
