Could SFPD's aging fleet of vehicles be impacting response times and public safety?

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Persistent issues with San Francisco Police Department's patrol cars are raising concerns among officers, with some questioning whether the aging fleet is affecting response times and public safety.

This is an ongoing issue that ABC7 News has been tracking since 2017; officers continue to report that a significant number of vehicles are out of service.

According to SFPD, out of 357 marked patrol cars 57 are currently in need of repair or are completely unusable. However, the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) claims the actual number is even higher.

Images obtained from multiple sources at most of the city's 10 police stations show seemingly troubling conditions. A whiteboard at Park Station lists seven vehicles needing repairs, with issues ranging from broken seatbelts to malfunctioning windows. Five additional cars are entirely out of service, with one marked as having "no computer, no siren, and much more!"

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At another station, a board lists 12 patrol cars with problems- one reportedly "died while driving." At the top, a frustrated message is scrawled: "Why is everything broken?!"

SFPOA President Tracy McCray expressed frustration over the deteriorating fleet.

"It's hysterical to me- we're in San Francisco, with all this tech happening, but we have computer issues," McCray said.

Mechanical failures are also a major concern.

"You're just a brake pad away from something happening because of maintenance," she warned.

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With so many vehicles inoperable, multiple sources told ABC7 News that officers have, at times, been unable to leave the station, potentially delaying response times.

"If we don't have cars, it's obviously harder for us to respond," McCray said. "You don't want cops sitting in the station when they could be patrolling, especially at night."

SFPD denied that the condition of the fleet has impacted response times.

"As the department's fleet vehicles age out, we work to acquire the newest, state-of-the-art vehicles to ensure the safety of officers and the community," SFPD said in a statement.

One possible reason for the repair delays is that SFPD vehicles are serviced by the city's central shops, meaning repairs can't be made by just any mechanic in the city.