Police Department Looking to Replace Aging Vehicles With Forfeiture Money

The East Providence police department recently learned that it would receive nearly $600,000 in asset forfeiture money, which the department hopes to use to replace some police cars in its aging fleet.

After an inquiry from Assistant Mayor Thomas Rose about the age of the city's police vehicles, Chief Joseph Tavares informed the City Council during its Tuesday night meeting of the money.

About $450,000 came from work by East Providence lieutenant Barry Ramer, who is assigned to a Food and Drug Administration task force, Tavares said. The money came from a Chinese steroid case and East Providence was given its share because of Ramer's work on the task force, he said.

Tavares said the department has a very old fleet, but that he was hesitant to come to the city asking for money because of its fiscal situation. The fleet is down to about 90 vehicles from 100 when he started. He anticipates that he will ask the city for ten new vehicles to be paid for with the asset forfeiture money.

He also said he hopes to use some equipment from older police cars such as lights and cages in the new vehicles so that they will not have to pay for fully-equipped ones.

"Just because I have the money, doesn't mean I'm going to spend the most," Tavares said.