County beefs up sheriff's cruiser fleet

CELINA - County commissioners have approved more than $150,000 in cruiser and related equipment purchases since December to upgrade the Mercer County Sheriff's Office's fleet of vehicles.

It's part of an overall shift to replace the Dodge patrol cruisers with Ford Interceptor SUVs, according to sheriff Jeff Grey.

"The Chargers have a lot of miles, and costs are adding up on them," he said.

County commissioners last week signed off on Grey's request to buy three new cruisers at a total cost of $83,544 in addition to $39,612 in equipment for four cruisers.

The three Interceptors will be purchased from Statewide Ford of Van Wert, whose bid of $83,544 - $26,598 for each vehicle and $3,750 for optional equipment - came in lower than the state bid from Lebanon Ford, according to the commissioners' resolution.

Commissioners then accepted a $39,612 bid from Statewide Emergency Products of Van Wert for the purchase and installation of patrol and safety equipment for four SUVs, including an Interceptor that was purchased for $27,848 with extra options from Statewide Ford in December.

The cruisers, which should arrive six months after contract signing, will be paid through the enforcement equipment line item, which comes from the county's general fund, according to Kim Everman, administrative clerk for commissioners.

"The addition of cars is a huge help, but we wear cars out fast," Grey said. "The cars are driven hard and deputies put on 30,000-40,000 miles per year on their cars."

The Interceptors will replace four Chargers assigned to patrol, each of which has racked up between 125,291 to 157,626 miles. The Chargers eventually will be be stripped and sold on GovDeals, a government online auction site.
  "The sheriff's office initially started to purchase the Dodge Chargers after Ford discontinued production of the Crown Victoria," Grey said in a report issued late last year. "After a short time, our office began to shy away from the Dodge Chargers due to cost of repairs and began replacing the Crown Victoria's with the Ford Interceptor SUV."

On average, repair costs for Chargers in the first six months of 2017 were $2,136 per vehicle, Grey noted. One of those Chargers, a 2012 model with more than 150,000 miles, incurred repair costs of $3,146. Its Kelley Blue Book value, Grey noted, is $3,790.

"The Interceptor offers more space for the officer and gear as well as the added bonus of all-wheel drive during the winter season," Grey wrote.

Grey also pointed out that his office later this year plans to replace two undercover autos.

"They will be used-car purchases and will replace other undercover cars," he said.

The office maintains a fleet of 33 vehicles - 11 unmarked and 22 marked, Grey said. But three of those cars are out of service and will be sold this spring on GovDeals.

"The vehicles that are used for patrol use only currently have roughly 1,247,117 miles combined," Grey wrote. "That averages out to approximately 88,141 miles per patrol vehicle. On average, a deputy can put nearly 37,000 miles on a patrol vehicle a year."

The autos are used for patrol duty, transporting prisoners, courthouse security, detectives, DARE and employee use during work hours.

"Far too often, most people think the cars are only used for patrol. What many don't realize is we have deputies transporting prisoners throughout the state daily, as well as traveling to other states," Grey wrote. "These transports include extraditions, court hearings, doctor's appointments, mental health evaluations and picking up and dropping off to prisons and any other transport ordered by the court."

Grey insisted that it's imperative for deputies to have a reliable vehicle when far away from Mercer County, especially when they have a prisoner in their custody.

Grey said many factors are considered before replacing a fleet car.

"Regardless of make or model, a patrol vehicle is not taken out of service until the repair costs are too expensive or the mileage exceeds 170,000 plus miles," he wrote. "Once a patrol vehicle reaches a set number of miles or the car begins to show performance issues, the vehicle is moved from patrol to nonpatrol and is used as a pool car for the civilian employees or used for parts."

Grey added that upkeep of patrol cars that are expected to perform "high-performance maneuvers" is done more frequently than on most civilian vehicles.

"Police cruisers require upgraded suspension, larger or stronger brakes, heavier springs, shocks and stabilizing bars, which allows the unit to turn quicker and makes stopping abruptly easier," Grey continued. "Brakes are changed based on each driver and the amount of use the vehicle is put through.

Moreover, the price of cruisers has risen in recent years, in large part due to the need for larger engines, upgraded cooling systems and "many more improvements to police safety."

Grey, who noted that calls for service have increased 180 percent over the last decade, said reliable transportation is a must for the sheriff's office.

"Not only for our deputies and passengers, but for our fellow motorists on our roadways," Grey wrote. "The same goes for our deputies when responding to emergency calls throughout Mercer County."