Audit shows more than half of Atlanta police vehicles should be off the streets

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - There is enough wear and tear and just over half of the police vehicles in Atlanta, that they should be put out of regular service.

That is one conclusion from a review by the independent auditor at City Hall.

The primary police vehicles can go 24-hours-a-day. The recommended lifecycle for the department to keep a vehicle on the street can be as low as three years, but as high as 10 years, depending on the model and where that car or wagon is assigned.

The auditor checked 1,065 vehicles in APD fleet. Fifty-two percent of those have already passed the life cycle.

The director of the Atlanta Police Union says officers cannot and do not expect plush vehicles to ride around in. Vince Champion says they should be able to count on a vehicle being dependable for them, as well as for the citizens they may have to rush to on a call.