A crucial part of policing with the Buffalo Police Department involves mobility, and the president of the Police Benevolent Association says the BPD has a shortage within its fleet.

"It's atrocious, it's lacking," said PBA President John Evans.

Evans says the city ordered 15 vehicles in next year's budget and they are still waiting on the 11 ordered in last year's budget to be fitted.

"It's not like driving a car off the lot obviously," Evans added. "They have to put light bars and radios, computers and the like in them."

Evans says some districts are now running with as few as six cars.

"You need 20 to adequately run the districts currently," said Evans.

Lovejoy District council member Richard Fontana brought up the fleet shortage last year, and says he requested 15 cars in addition to the 11 ordered in 2018.

"We're buying some more, but we're not buying enough," said Fontana.

When police cars are damaged and needing maintenance they are brought downtown to the police garage on Seneca Street.

Spectrum News was told the police cars could sit in the lot for some time because of another shortage issue with mechanics.

"We actually should pay more in this position [mechanic] than we do so, we're not attracting skilled mechanics," said Fontana.

Fontana says the majority of the fleet has changed from Ford Crown Victorias to Chevy Tahoes and Dodge Chargers.

He says the newer vehicles need maintenance more frequently.

"These newer vehicles, higher compression vehicles are using a lot more oil that has to be changed more often. If you don't change it, you get engine failure, there's no room around it," said Fontana.

Evans says officers have been forced to skip maintenance checks because of wait times at the Police garage.

"The safety factor is they're not taking the cars down for what's called 'PM' preventative maintenance. They're not taking them down because they're not going to get them back," Evans added.

The City of Buffalo released the following statement to Spectrum News:

​"We are aware of police fleet needs, and have been reviewing all of the potential options for investment in vehicles. The Administration said during the passage of the City budget that these decisions would be made as part of a larger capital budget discussion and we intend for that to be one of the major items for discussion during that process."