Atlanta's unpaid auto bills could delay your 911 call

ATLANTA - There is currently a shortage of Atlanta police cars. Sources say this is because City Hall has not yet paid the repair bills to get them out of an auto shop.

Police officers told Mayor Dickens last January that the availability of a working patrol car is a chronic headache for them. Especially in Zone 1 on the West side.

Zone 1 of Atlanta includes neighborhoods like: Ashview Heights, the Atlanta University Center, Collier Heights, Hunter Hills, Vine City, Washington Park, and West Lake. Councilman Dustin Hillis' oversees this area.

"We have somewhere around 180 total [Atlanta Police Department] cars out for repair. 99 of those are marked units," said Hillis.

At Zone 1, an unlucky officer might have to patrol in what looks like a surplus, back-of-the lot church van while almost half of the customary cruisers are in the shop.

Hillis explained why the issue is more than simply an officer's riding comfort.

"You're having to combine beats," said Hillis. This means response time is almost doubled while less vehicles are on the roads to patrol.

At a City Hall meeting councilmembers were told that a major outside company had taken too much time turning the vehicles around.

But sources tell FOX 5 that City Hall has not paid Wade Ford, the company. The outstanding bill has grown to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The City of Atlanta Public Works Department issued this statement when FOX 5 requested comment: 

"The City strives to pay its vendors on a timely basis, however each repair invoice must match with legitimate costs to ensure good stewardship of tax dollars."

There is a dispute over the invoices. The Atlanta Police Department and your neighborhood patrols are caught in the middle of it.

In the meantime, new vehicles will be coming to the city by the end of the year. About 90 have been located.