By Joe Killian
News & Record
GREENSBORO, NC — Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes couldn’t be happier about getting a new fleet of patrol cars for his deputies.
“They run like scalded dogs,” Barnes said of the 39 full-size Police Pursuit Dodge Chargers that the Guilford County commissioners have authorized him to buy to replace the department’s aging fleet.
The commissioners approved up to $888,158 for the fleet and $25,354.14 for a Chevrolet Tahoe PPV for the K-9 unit.
“We’ve been putting off buying cars now for three years,” Barnes said. “The ones we have now, some of them are well in excess of 100,000 miles and there are starting to be safety issues and maintenance issues.”
The sheriff’s office had requested 62 new vehicles in this year’s budget. The department says it operates 340 vehicles of varying kinds every day and has been responsible for maintaining its fleet for the past two years.
For years, deputies have driven Ford Crown Victorias, but Barnes said the manufacturer is phasing out the police squad car version of that model.
Barnes said the Dodge Charger - a classic American muscle car seen on television shows like “The Dukes of Hazzard” and movies like “Bullitt” and “The Fast and the Furious” - has been growing more popular among law enforcement agencies.
Barnes said the 2011 Chargers will be more fuel efficient, even though they have larger engines. He said he appreciates the sturdiness of the souped-up law enforcement version of the cars, given the extra weight deputies have to carry in their vehicles - items such as radio systems, computers and printers.
“Everything about them is heavy duty,” Barnes said. “They may cost a little more on the front end, but they’re going to last much longer.”
The department will buy the cars from Ilderton Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep in High Point, a dealer with a state contract that will help Barnes shave about $1,400 per vehicle. The total expected savings on the bulk buy will be about $54,727, Barnes said, with the 39 cars coming in at just under $23,000 each.
The commissioners also approved $117,481.27 to replace 22 in-car video systems for the fleet. The current systems are no longer supported by their manufacturer.
Copyright 2011 News & Record (Greensboro, NC)