Global vehicle shortage left Silver Lake Police Department down a cruiser

A broken police cruiser in Silver Lake has had to be hastily fixed after the Ford Motor Company suddenly canceled its replacement – leaving the village short a quarter of its fleet.

Village Police Chief Jamie Norris told council members Oct. 3 that his team had ordered the new cruiser in early January 2022 but were caught by surprise when Ford unilaterally canceled the vehicle last month.

“It’s not so good,” he said. “My fleet [was] reduced by 25%. We have had to bring back a vehicle that needed a new motor.”

Norris said the department had managed to get the old car repaired quickly but at a cost of about $7,000, which had not been anticipated.

“It is a nationwide issue,” said Norris. “They canceled production of the police cruisers, and it has hit law enforcement in many departments that I know of in Summit County.”

Adding to the unexpected cost of maintaining a minimum fleet of suitable police vehicles, Ford has announced that police departments can place orders for the 2023 model – but it will have a much higher list price than the canceled 2022 vehicles.

Norris said he has been told the 2023 model could be at least $7,500 more than the car his officers had been waiting nine months to bring into service.

“We looked for used vehicles to fill the gap,” he said. “There are none around to buy. We are trying to get an order in as soon as possible.”

Police vehicles need high-performance specifications and regular replacement because they are often very high mileage – in service 24 hours a day since shifts rotate.

They also require extensive customization. Norris said he has been talking to the suppliers and installers of safety equipment, light bars, and decals – all of which will likely see cost increases of 7% to 10% next year.

“Government agencies are not immune from the economy,” said Norris. “It seems to be the nature of everything in the supply chain.”

International shortages of many vital components used in the automotive industry – especially semiconductor chips – have caused backlogs and delays for many companies.