Sheriff’s department continues to struggle with vehicle purchases

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department continues to struggle finding new police vehicles to purchase, but they are jumping at a surprisingly good deal found locally.

County Commissioners yesterday approved the purchase of a $49,900 dollars 2024 pickup truck from Country Chevrolet already equipped with the police pursuit package. And that cost will still save the county an estimated $10,000 on the vehicle.

Deputy Andrew Whipker with the sheriff’s department said that despite having funding in the budget for the purchase of vehicles, the county, and departments across the country, are finding it impossible to find police-equipped vehicles. For example, the first of the vehicles ordered last year was actually put out on the road about a month ago.

Instead of being able to buy the police-ready vehicles, if they are lucky, they are having to buy heavy duty pickups and then retrofit them for police use at a cost of $13 to $15 thousand dollars. County Commissioner Tony London called the current market for new police vehicles a nightmare.

Whipker recommended purchasing the local vehicle immediately and said he can’t even really provide comparable quotes from other dealers, as there are none available nationwide.

Whipker said that the department has had several vehicles totaled in recent months, leading to more pressure to find new vehicles.

The new truck will count toward the number of new vehicles already approved for next year.

The commissioners approved the purchase with the funds coming from drug seizure money.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.