Despite across the board budget cuts, the Anaheim Police Dept. is getting more than $250,000 extra this year to buy additional pursuit vehicles.
City officials, however, say that the move ultimately will save the city money.
The Ford model has been used by the city for years and is being phased out by Ford. So police officials asked to spend next year’s allotment for black-and-whites this year instead.
As a trade off, no money for new police cars will be budgeted for the 2011-12 fiscal year.
City officials said that because Anaheim has invested in equipment for the Crown Victoria model, older equipment such as barriers that separate the front and back seats of police cars could be reused from older sedans once those vehicles are retired from the fleet. And that could save the city money in the long run.
Other cities such as Huntington Beach and Tustin also have shifted budgets to accommodate the purchase of more Crown Victorias before production is halted.
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