The Buffalo Police Department was “woefully short” of police vehicles, according to past reporting by Investigative Post.
City lawmakers did not approve the leasing of the vehicles until they received clarification from the mayor’s office on the costs associated with leasing the vehicles instead of buying them.
According to the City of Buffalo Department of Administration and Finance, leasing was the best option because it allows the city to acquire more vehicles at one time and allows the city to turn over high-mileage vehicles more frequently.
The lease allows the city to buyout the vehicle at $3,500 per vehicle at the end of the lease or sell it at auction and keep any of the value over the $3,500.
“We’re hoping to get those cars as quickly as possible because we know they’re desperately needed,” Councilman Rasheed Wyatt said.
Wyatt said he was shocked upon learning that the city could buy the vehicles for $3,500. He said the city will decide in the future whether leasing will be the better option in the future.