Breckenridge Texan

New Sheriff Department patrol vehicles set to hit streets soon

New Sheriff Department patrol vehicles set to hit streets soon
February 27
07:01 2018

Stephens County residents will soon see two sleek new pickup trucks sporting the Stephens County Sheriff Department’s logo driving around the county.

Although the new trucks have already been delivered to the Sheriff’s Department, they still need some additional equipment installed in them before they can be used for patrols. Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt said he expects the two 2018 ½-ton, four-wheel drive Chevrolet Pickups to be put into service during the next two to three weeks.

The new Sheriff Department pickups are equipped for general purpose law enforcement but still need to have the local radios, laptops and other equipment installed before they can be used for patrols in the county. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

“They are already outfitted for general purpose law enforcement,” he said. “They just need Stephens County-specific equipment installed.”

Holt said that includes transferring existing equipment from the current vehicles that are being replaced, such as the radios, laptops and each deputy’s personal equipment. That installation will be done locally by Sheriff Department personnel.

Under the leasing program, they could have opted to have the trucks delivered with that equipment new, but using the equipment from the old vehicles helps keep the costs of the new vehicles down, Holt said.

One of the new pickups will be assigned to the department’s Chief Deputy, and the other to a night patrol deputy. The sheriff said they are both currently driving two of the oldest vehicles in the department’s fleet.

Also in the coming weeks, the Sheriff Department will receive a new 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe that will be outfitted as a K-9 patrol vehicle. Holt said the department is in the process of acquiring a K-9 dog with grant money and they have an application open for a K-9 deputy.

This inside view of the rear seating area shows some of the features of the new Sheriff Department pickups. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Once the new Tahoe is received and put into service, Holt said a current Tahoe the department is using will be reassigned to the Jail Administrator. It will replace a Ford Explorer he currently uses to transport prisoners and as his drive-home vehicle.

Holt said the Ford Explorer, two old patrol pickups and two other vehicles the department is not using will then be auctioned off through the lease program and the money received from that will go toward payments on the lease of the new vehicles.

Once all the vehicles are equipped and put into service, the Sheriff Department fleet will have the two new patrol pickup trucks, one Chevrolet ½ ton patrol pickup currently in use, the new K-9-equipped Chevrolet Tahoe, the current Chevrolet Tahoe that will be assigned to the jail administrator, and the Sheriff’s unmarked Ford Pickup.

Holt said that last year the Sheriff Department came in under budget by about $45,000  and the County Commissioners Court approved using that saved money to go toward paying on the lease program.

“That’s $45,000 we don’t have to come up with,” he said.

Because his department embraces the concept of the patrol deputies using their vehicles as their main office, Holt said, having good vehicles for the deputies to patrol in is very important.

“Your first office is your patrol vehicle, and your secondary office is your desk at the Sheriff Department,” he said. “That vehicle needs to be nice, clean, reliable and comfortable.”

 

Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan

Cutline, top photo: Stephens County Sheriff Will Holt shows off one of the Sheriff Department’s new patrol pickups that will soon be placed into service. The department recently received the two new Chevrolet 1/2-ton, four-wheel drive pickups and expects to have them in service in two to three weeks. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

 

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