The Hudson Board of Selectmen spent part of its most recent meeting reviewing a request from the Hudson Police Department to purchase three new police utility vehicles, a routine but important part of the department’s annual fleet replacement plan. Police Chief David Cayot explained that the department follows a consistent rotation schedule to ensure officers have reliable vehicles available for daily patrols and emergency response.
“The Police Department is respectfully requesting the Board of Selectmen to allow us to purchase three police utility vehicles from McGovern Municipal HQ in Marlborough, Massachusetts,” Cayot wrote in a memo to the Board. He reiterated during the meeting that replacing cruisers is a standard practice. “This is what we do every year,” he said. “We rotate three of the older cruisers out, bring three new cruisers in. Obviously, we have to make sure that we have cruisers up and running so that we have availability so we can get to our calls.”
Cayot noted that one of the vehicles will be assigned to the department’s K9 unit, specifically for MPO Hoag and K9 Lex, who require a specialized cruiser outfitted for K9 operations. He said the department intends to purchase the vehicles through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), a cooperative purchasing program the Town has used multiple times since 2022. “McGovern Municipal HQ was awarded the bid through MAPC, which we have used numerous times since 2022,” Cayot wrote.
He explained that the purchase will be funded through the FY2027 budget, and that the Town’s Finance Director has waived the standard bidding procedures under Town Code 988 D, as allowed when using MAPC’s cooperative purchasing system. As part of his memo, Cayot included MAPC’s description of its Public Works and Public Safety Cooperative Purchasing Program, which allows municipalities to buy police cruisers, trucks, and public works equipment without managing the bidding process themselves. The program handles bidding, contracts, and any issues that arise, giving communities a streamlined “shop and buy” option.
After reviewing the request, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the purchase of three police utility vehicles from McGovern Municipal HQ for $193,893.00. The approval ensures the department can continue its annual replacement cycle and maintain a dependable fleet for officers throughout the year.