DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach is putting a formal plan in place to replace aging city vehicles, including police cars, after questions were raised about why some vehicles more than a decade old remain in service.
The move comes one week after a city commissioner questioned the condition and age of vehicles in the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Commissioner Stacy Cantu called the situation a “glaring example of poor fleet management” after records showed 84 police department vehicles still in service, including 2011 Ford Crown Victorias, 2014 Chevrolet Impalas and 2020 Chevrolet Tahoes.
The city acknowledged it did not have a formal vehicle replacement plan in place before now.
Under the new Vehicle Acquisition Program, Public Works Fleet Management will oversee the city’s entire fleet and establish a systematic replacement process.
The city says vehicles will generally be replaced based on a 10-year or 100,000-mile life cycle, with the program expected to be incorporated into the city’s 2027 budget.
The city previously told Channel 9 it has spent approximately $9.9 million replacing 216 vehicles since 2022.
We requested a list showing the make, model and VIN for every vehicle in the city’s fleet.
The records provided by the city show a total fleet of 221 vehicles, including the 84 police vehicles that initially prompted questions.
The list also identifies newer vehicles, with some dating back to 2021. However, only 127 vehicles were highlighted as new vehicles in the records provided.
That leaves more than 80 vehicles that do not appear to be accounted for in the information provided by the city.
The discrepancy raises additional questions about the city’s vehicle replacement efforts and how its fleet has been tracked and managed.
When asked why Daytona Beach did not have a formal vehicle replacement plan before now, the city said vehicles were budgeted for annually, with individual departments responsible for addressing their own vehicle needs.
However, a review of city budgets from the past several years did not show a direct line item specifically designated for replacement vehicles.
The new 10-year or 100,000-mile replacement cycle will apply broadly across the city’s fleet, but some specialty vehicles will be treated differently.
Vehicles such as the Police Department’s BearCat and SWAT vehicles will still require individual funding requests.
The city says the new acquisition program is intended to create a more systematic approach to replacing aging vehicles and planning for future fleet needs.
The program is expected to be part of the 2027 city budget.
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