SPPD saves “green” while going less green
Santa Paula Police Department
Published: August 20, 2008
By Dan Kiernan
Santa Paula Police Department
The Santa Paula Police Department, like so many other agencies and businesses, is being forced to deal with tough economic times and ever shrinking budgets. A concern for the SPPD is vehicle replacement costs, including the unmarked detective cars. In a recent move to renew, rather than expensively replace one vehicle, Detective Daniel Kiernan took the idea of “Pimp My Ride” to “Pimp My Police Car.”
In the popular show “Pimp My Ride”, people with old, beat-up, generally un-roadworthy and UGLY cars and trucks have new life breathed into them through a great amount of work and flair. The efforts of the show staff incur no cost to the contestants.
In this instance, the challenge was to take a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria and give it a longer life at low or no cost. Why would this need to be done? The vehicle was new in 2000 as a black and white patrol car. After serving a rough life on the streets of Santa Paula and attaining 100,000 miles, it was converted to an unmarked, special enforcement and pool car. The vehicle served another 25,000 miles with an extreme lack of maintenance or care given to it since it was to be replaced soon. The car had been given a “cheap” green colored paint job when it was taken out of the patrol fleet, and it had now faded into disrepair. In short, it was an eyesore.
This car, affectionately known as “The Booger”, was issued to Kiernan in early 2008 with the idea that it would be replaced in a short amount of time. Now enters the need for replacement and no budget. The vehicle was given due attention to its mechanical issues and became one of the best running fleet vehicles, but still it was “ugly” and did not show well as a representation of the SPPD. Kiernan spent a couple hundred dollars of his own money in “beautification” and creature comfort items, but it still did not change the appearance of this “diamond (or emerald) in the rough.”
With a referral from Reserve Sergeant Mark Cagnacci of SPPD and Farmers Insurance Group, Kiernan contacted Jay Flores, owner of Tony’s Body Shop. Jay, seeing the condition of the detective’s car, took pity on the poor, tired public servant (both car and detective) and vowed to revitalize the body to a near new condition (the car’s body, not the detective’s). Jay would sublet the job for the needed paint job unless the expensive paint could be purchased, or donated.
Enter J. D. Allerd of Akzo Nobel Coatings. J. D. supplies Tony’s Body Shop with premium paints. Allerd conspired with Jay to promote the appearance of the “workhorse”, and secured a donation of paint form his company for this project. The color? Not green.
After two weeks, the not so new, but markedly improved detective car rolled back onto the streets with beautiful new paint and a newfound life. With the mechanical and appearance issues now resolved, this vehicle should be able to remain as part of the SPPD fleet for another 50,000, or more, miles. For minimal costs, this project of revitalize vs. replace has saved taxpayers about $22,000.
Detective Kiernan, Reserve Sergeant Cagnacci and the SPPD would like to thank Tony’s Body Shop and Akzo Nobel Coatings for the generous contribution to the City of Santa Paula, and their support for public safety and their community’s.
Mechanical repairs… $3,500. Body work and new paint… zero dollars. Support and appreciation demonstrated… priceless.
