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Police Department <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Pat Klaers, Mayor and City Council <br /> <br />Assistant Chief Jeffrey A. Beahen <br /> <br />2-19-03 <br /> <br />Vehicle forfeiture <br /> <br /> On Friday 2-14-03, City Prosecutor Christopher Johnson successfully acquired, via civil <br /> forfeiture, a 1998 4 x 4 Chevrolet extended-cab pick-up truck with 51,000 miles on it. This <br /> truck has an appraised value of almost $17,000. This vehicle was forfeited after Elk River <br /> officers arrested a DWI offender who had multiple prior offenses. <br /> <br />It should be pointed out that our intent is not to arrest DWI offenders in hope of gaining <br />vehicles. It is also not the prosecutor's job to settle cases with the city budget in mind. This <br />case does however illustrate what our own prosecution service does for the City when the <br />situation is right and there is an understanding of the immense benefit of gaining the full <br />amount of the forfeiture. I commend Mr. Johnson for his tenacity in resolving this case and <br />his understanding of the difficult economic times facing our City in the next few fiscal years. <br /> <br />We plan on adding this truck to our fleet, replacing the 1998 Ford pick-up currently assigned <br />to our C.S.O. Unit. The Ford currently has 117,000 miles on it and was due to be replaced <br />next year. It would have over 150,000 miles on it at that time. We can now eliminate the <br />need to include a truck in our police budget for 2004 and 2005. The Ford truck will be given <br />to the Public Works Department for their use along with a new bed-mounted toolbox that is <br />currently in the back of the Ford truck. <br /> <br />The cost to paint the truck to match our fleet is $1,552, a new topper is $950 and set-up <br />should mn between $600 and $800. This cost of $3,302 will be taken out of Equipment <br />Reserves. <br /> <br />Again, I want to express our thanks to our City Prosecutor for his work on this case and the <br />resulting savings to the City in excess of $30,000 in our projected 2004 budget as well as the <br />ability to transfer the additional truck and property to the Public Works Department. <br /> <br /> <br />