Litchfield Buys Two Police SUVs, Including New K-9 Unit

Litchfield City Council Meeting | June 4, 2026

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, June 4, 2026, approved spending about $120,220 to buy and equip two new police SUVs, accepting bids for two 2026 Dodge Durango Pursuit vehicles and the equipment to outfit them.

Article Summary: The council unanimously accepted a $91,038 bid from Victory Lane for two 2026 Dodge Durango Pursuit AWD SUVs and a $29,181.98 quote from DataTronics to upfit the vehicles — one as a patrol unit and one for a K-9 officer.

Police Vehicle Purchase Key Points:

• Two 2026 Dodge Durango Pursuit AWD SUVs were purchased from Victory Lane (Carlinville) for $91,038, or $45,519 each; the vehicles are budgeted in the 2027 fiscal year.
• DataTronics submitted the low quote of $29,181.98 to equip the two vehicles — $10,717.99 for a patrol setup and $18,463.99 for a K-9 setup.
• Two dealer bids were received for the vehicles and three quotes for the equipment; the city said it sought to buy locally where possible.
• One vehicle will become a K-9 unit for a new K-9 officer expected around January.

The police chief told the council that sedans are no longer a practical option for police fleets, noting that Dodge has ceased producing the Charger and that SUVs are “pretty well all you got to choose from.” He said the new vehicles support the department’s practice of assigning each officer a vehicle, which he said extends the squads’ service life.

The vehicles fill several needs, the chief said: a school resource officer recently moved to a full-time position requiring a vehicle, an officer is returning from a drug task force assignment, and one of the new SUVs will be outfitted as a K-9 unit for a K-9 officer the department expects to bring on around January. Officials confirmed the purchase was a budgeted item and not over budget.

For the vehicles, the city received two bids, with Victory Lane of Carlinville the low bidder at $45,519 per SUV, or $91,038 for both. A competing quote from Morrow Brothers Ford of Greenfield offered a Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD at $45,788 each. Officials discussed state-bid and manufacturer government-purchase programs that allow municipalities to buy at wholesale-style pricing, and noted that Victory Lane is a local dealer.

For the equipment upfit, the department obtained three quotes, the packet shows. DataTronics was lowest at $29,181.98 total — $10,717.99 to set up the patrol vehicle and $18,463.99 for the K-9 vehicle, which includes a kennel, heat-alarm and bailout systems. GTSi quoted $33,795 and Morrow Brothers quoted $36,698 for comparable work.

Both motions passed unanimously among the members present.