Police to add two squad vehicles

NEW LONDON – The New London Common Council approved the addition of two squad vehicles to the New London Police Department in 2026 at a total cost of $145,000.
The approval came at the council’s Dec. 16 meeting, and was passed by a 9-0 vote. Ald. Dennis Herter was absent from the meeting.
Squad vehicles
At the Dec. 3 Capital Project and Equipment Committee meeting, New London Police Chief Josh Wilson told the committee that the base price for a new Ford Explorer has increased to $100,000 before setting them up for a squad vehicle.
He added that since Frick Ford closed in New London, the police department has had to decide whether to stay with Ford vehicles and purchase them outside of New London, or switch to Chevy Tahoe vehicles. He said the department did contact Plach Automotive in New London about Tahoe vehicles, as well as contacting other departments who use Tahoe vehicles for squad vehicles, including Waupaca County.

“They have zero dollars in broke down maintenance,” Wilson said. “Their warranty is better than Ford.”
He added, “If we’re going to spend $100,000 on vehicles, I’d like to spend that money in the city, keep our money local.”
The resale value is also better for a Tahoe when compared to a Ford Explorer, Wilson said.
“If our fleet was all Chevy, everyone except one would be under warranty still,” Wilson said. “And right now, none of our Fords are under warranty just because of the mileage piece.”
With the addition of two additional vehicles to the police department, Wilson said the 30-year-old crime scene vehicle will be auctioned off and another vehicle will be repurposed for the New London Fire Department.
Other approvals
The council also approved several other capital items that the Capital Project and Equipment Committee had recommended for approval. The council approved these by a 9-0 vote. The items included:
• $36,480 for four Enterprise leased vehicles. The vehicles will be for the city’s Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Building Inspector departments, as well as the city’s municipal building.
• $15,000 for the city’s yearly computer replacements.
• $29,188 for the Shawano Street to gazebo extension of the Riverside Trail. The total project cost is estimated at $147,188. The city is applying for a DNR grant that would reimburse 80% of the project.
New London Finance Director Judy Radke had presented the above items to the Capital Project and Equipment Committee at its December meeting for immediate approval at the request of the city’s department heads. She said the department heads felt approval could not wait until the committee’s February meeting.
She added that the time between the committee meeting and December and February would allow her time to review last year’s budget to see if any of those funds could be used to purchase additional capital items in 2026.