Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is planning to overhaul the NYPD's car leasing program, which costs more than $1 million a month, due to concerns that higher-ups are overlooking a less visible program, according to sources. He has ordered a review.
CRALO (Confidential Rental and Leasing Office) is a program that provides undercover vehicles to NYPD police officers and detectives working on investigations.
The program has ballooned to the point where Finest costs more than $1 million a month for just over 1,000 vehicles and has been exploited by some of the department's most senior members, officials told The Post. It is said that there are.
Mr. Tisch's office suspects that the program has put multiple leased SUVs at the disposal of officers who don't need undercover vehicles.
Officials say several high-profile officials at the department are among those who appear to have exploited the program.
Officials say they are using FEMA codes to access federally funded vehicles, and the federal government is trying to figure out how some vehicles are paid for. They say they are investigating whether that was the case.
Mr. Tisch's office is calling on all units to conduct a complete inventory of all CRALO vehicles and also requesting that all leases be reauthorized. It emphasizes that the resources are aimed at investigators, not executives or the upper echelons of the NYPD.
He said the sole purpose of the program is to provide classified and sometimes non-standard vehicles to members performing investigative missions and selected specialized jobs.
She specifically blamed executives and support staff, saying they had no need to use cars for top-notch drivers.
As part of the review, agencies will need to review their inventory of CRALO-registered vehicles and include “justification for the continued need for CRALO vehicles,” officials said.
The program must be compliant by June 30, 2025, officials said.
