Countywide : Patrol Car Purchases Opposed by Activists

Anti-tax activists, including members of the government watchdog group Committees of Correspondence, are criticizing a proposal to spend as much as $835,000 to buy 42 Sheriff’s Department patrol cars.

County officials propose to replace aging cruisers that have more than 80,000 miles on them and are beginning to require frequent repairs. The Board of Supervisors is to vote on that request today.

Opponents say the county cannot afford to purchase so many new cars as it attempts to dig itself out of bankruptcy. But county officials said Monday that it makes sense to purchase the vehicles now in part because Chevrolet plans to stop producing police cruisers at the end of next year.

Assistant Sheriff Doug Storm said that 27 of the 42 cars would be used to patrol cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Department for police service and would be purchased with money collected from the contract cities.

The remaining 15 cars would be used to patrol unincorporated areas and would be purchased with county and Sheriff’s Department money.

Storm said the department usually replaces 90 patrol cars a year. But because of the bankruptcy, officials replaced only 52 last year and are expected to replace 80 by the end of this year.

Not replacing the aging vehicles could result in higher repair costs, officials said.