Wednesday JULY 30, 2025 |
In Saratoga, the town council has approved the purchase of new police vehicles after the Chief of Police found a less expensive option.
As reported by Bigfoot99, in May, the Saratoga Town Council authorized Police Chief John Moore to spend $62,309 on a 2024 Dodge Ram patrol truck, from ESU Pursuits in Edwardsville, Kansas. The vehicle would come fully equipped with lights, sirens, and Saratoga Police Department logos.
During the July 1st Saratoga Town Council meeting, Chief Moore reported that he found a 2025 Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle for sale at John Elway Chevrolet in Denver for $53,661. Chief Moore added that upfitting the SUV to serve as a K9 unit would increase the price by another $40,000.
The governing body hesitated on the prospect of spending more than $90,000 on a single patrol vehicle. Council instructed Chief Moore to search for a less expensive alternative.
At the July 15th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Police Chief John Moore said he contacted John Elway Chevrolet about trading in older vehicles toward the purchase of the 2025 Chevy Tahoe.
In total, Chief Moore said the Denver dealership offered him $46,500 for two used patrol vehicles.
The Saratoga Police Department would owe an additional $7,161 on the new SUV.
Chief Moore recommended purchasing another Dodge Ram patrol truck from ESU Pursuits for $63,798 to replace the two vehicles being traded in toward the Chevy Tahoe. Altogether, the Saratoga Police Chief said the total for two new vehicles, including the installation of required police hardware, is just over $110,000.
Chief Moore said he could purchase two new vehicles for roughly $15,000 more than the cost of the Chevy Tahoe he presented at the previous meeting. Chief Moore said the unit will require a two-way radio, which can be transferred from one of the trade-ins.
The Saratoga Town Council approved the purchase of a 2025 Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle with K9 unit upfitting, along with a 2024 Dodge Ram pickup truck. Chief Moore said he expects the fully outfitted Tahoe to be delivered within three weeks. The Dodge Ram may take upwards of 90 days to receive.
