Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 4.H
Meeting Date: August 13, 2025
From: George Crum
Title: Purchase of one (1) 2025 Ford F-150 Police Responder from Utilitac Equipment & Upfitting for the Homeless Liaison Unit
RECOMMENDATION:
To authorize the purchase of one (1) 2025 Ford F-150 Police Responder for use by the Homeless Liaison Officer in the amount of $85,915.37, inclusive of vehicle cost, decals, taxes, and upfitting.
BACKGROUND:
The Police Department's Homeless Liaison Officer plays a critical role in community outreach, responding to service calls involving unsheltered individuals, and partnering with local agencies to connect people experiencing homelessness with vital services. The current assigned vehicle has begun to have maintenance issues with extensive repairs. The time needed for maintenance becomes operationally challenging especially when accessing off- road encampments, transporting outreach materials, and ensuring officer safety during field work.
To support the mission of the Homeless Liaison program, staff proposes the purchase of a 2025 Ford F-150 Police Responder, a purpose-built vehicle designed for public safety operations, including off-road and all-terrain applications.
DISCUSSION:
In order to support the ongoing role of the Homeless Liaison officers, staff contacted local vendors in the Coachella Valley to explore the availability of a Ford F150 Responder; however, no one had the vehicle in stock. This would require a factory order that would result in a significant delay in deploying the unit. As a result, we reached out to Utilitac, a trusted vendor staff have previously purchased from and they indicated they had on-hand inventory of a 2025 Ford F150 Responder and could complete the upfitting of emergency equipment.
This eliminates the extended wait time and allows almost immediate use upon delivery.
The Ford F-150 Police Responder is a pursuit-rated pickup truck available to law enforcement and is specifically engineered to meet the demands of police duty cycles. Its design provides a balance of off-road capability, safety, performance, and utility, making it ideal for the varied and unpredictable terrain encountered during homeless outreach. The F150 vehicles have proven to be reliable and are able to handle the demands of off-road driving. The vehicle's cargo space also allows officers to transport supplies such as water, food, blankets, and hygiene kits, and to assist with logistical support during cleanup efforts.
The vehicle will be purchased from Utilitac Equipment & Upfitting, which currently has the unit in stock, avoiding delays typically associated with factory orders. The vehicle will also be upfitted by Utilitac to meet the department’s operational specifications. This vehicle will replace the 2018 Ford F150 Responder currently in service.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This fiscal impact for this purchase is $85,915.37 to include cost of the vehicle, upfitting cost, sales tax, delivery and installation of vehicle decals. Funding for this vehicle will come from the Equipment Replacement Fund (611) and was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/2026 budget.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B: Community Investment
Action B-19: Develop fleet management policies to establish vehicle replacements and utilization standards.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Utilitac Quote
2. SoCal Branding Decals Quote