The common practice of police patrol cars is evolving into patrol trucks.
Bartholomew County Sheriff Department Capt. Brandon Slate briefly puzzled the Bartholomew County commissioners Monday with a request for new trucks for the sheriff’s department, rather than the more traditional Dodge Chargers.
“Do you guys want to move to a truck fleet?,” Commissioner Carl Lienhoop asked.
While the answer is no, Slate did say patrol pickup trucks are becoming more common all the time.
Slate received permission from the commissioners for the sheriff’s department to advertise for the purchase of five pickup trucks. Specifically, the department is seeking bids for five new Dodge Ram 1500 Special Service Vehicles (SSV).
While these trucks have been available to law enforcement agencies since 2012, they are not sold to the general public.
If all the Dodge Rams are obtained, that will bring the total number of pickups trucks assigned to the sheriff’s department to 10, Slate said. The first two trucks were purchased in 2017, while three others were bought just last year, Slate said.
When commissioner Larry Kleinhenz asked why the department is suddenly buying pickups, Slate explained that Chrysler has stopped production on Dodge Chargers with V8 engines and all-wheel drive that deputies have preferred in recent years.
“Instead, (Chrysler) is moving to a new motor that is supposed to be a V6 all-wheel drive, or a V-8 rear-wheel drive,” Slate told the commissioners.
The auto manufacturer has agreed to provide the Indiana State Police and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police with fleets of Dodge Chargers already ordered, Slate said.
“But they basically told everyone else that if you want Chargers this year, you are probably looking at a 2021 delivery, because they can’t even be ordered until the very end of the year,” Slate said.
Although a pickup isn’t as fast as a Dodge Charger, Lienhoop says that’s not necessarily a significant factor. Law enforcement officers deputies are forbidden from driving so fast during a pursuit that they might endanger themselves or other motorists.
“No matter what we’re driving, we are trained for the vehicle’s limitations,” Slate said. “You also have to know your own limitations are, so you don’t drive beyond that,” Slate said.
While a Dodge Ram costs about $1,500 more than a Charger, the deputy says pickups retain their value longer when they are retired from active service, Slate said. County mechanics also say the trucks have fewer mechanical problems than the cars, he added.
Besides the trucks, the sheriff’s department is also seeking bids on three new mid-size sedans or small SUVs, such as a Ford Fusion or a Chevrolet Malibu, Slate said.
When an audience member asked why the sheriff’s department has 11 more vehicles than deputies, Slate responded vehicles are also issued to Community Corrections staff, part-time employees who serve civil process papers and maintenance personnel.
Bids for contracts to provide the new vehicles are scheduled to be opened at 10 a.m. March 23.
