Dorset Police is taking part in a new countrywide initiative which will combine the vehicle procurement capacity of over 30 emergency service organisations.
The biggest vehicle procurement project in UK police and emergency services history will see Dorset Police work alongside 33 other organisations to improve cost efficiency.
The initiative will amalgamate the vehicle buying power of police and fire rescue services across the country. Services from Cornwall through to Lincolnshire will be involved in the collaboration, which is being spearheaded by West Midlands Police.
Over 3,000 vehicles will be ordered by the organisations over the next two years, with 1,200 of them being built in Britain and approximately 70 coming to Dorset.
It is estimated that the overall spend resulting from this contract is in excess of £100 million, when taking into account the ‘whole life’ costs of the vehicles: this includes the initial purchase, fuel, maintenance, parts and repairs. This makes the contract the largest of its kind in the UK, and will mean savings of between six and seven million pounds across the group.
At a local level, the vehicle costs for Dorset Police would be £1.6 million, with the Force experiencing savings exceeding 6%.
The contract is for the full range of police vehicles, from ‘beat’ cars, through to the high performance cars used for traffic and motorway policing. Suppliers were selected from a list of companies on the national government framework agreement, specifically for ‘blue light’ services.
John Jones, Dorset Police’s Assistant Chief Officer and Director of Finance, said: “This vehicle purchasing project represents a clear example of effective collaboration between police forces and partners. The group have cooperated efficiently, building on the work of a previous similar but smaller scale project led by West Yorkshire Police.
“Obviously, the cost saving element is a priority. But the most important aspect of the project is the need to provide the safest vehicles for members of the force and for the public.
“We are confident that this project will represent good value to the public. Wherever possible, associated costs such as fuel purchases and parts and repairs will be invested in Dorset. We are committed to upholding working relationships with local dealerships, garages and other service providers, to ensure the economic benefits of the scheme are felt within the county.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, said: “This is an excellent example of using buying power from a large procurement hub to deliver savings for local Dorset taxpayers.”
The group has selected the following suppliers:
Cars: Vauxhall (General Motors UK Ltd), Volvo, BMW
Vans: Ford, Vauxhall (General Motors UK Ltd)
