WARREN, OH - The Trumbull County Sheriff's Department will replace 13 of its 41 police cruisers with 10 new Ford Crown Victorias and three Chevrolet Impalas at a cost of $263,866, according to Vindy.com.
The new police cruisers, which will replace cars with over 200,000 miles on them, are the first new cruisers the department has purchased in about six years, said Chief Deputy Ernie Cook. The cars are expected to arrive within seven to 10 weeks.
The $263,866 will come from county funds, though the additional $6,000 to $7,000 in equipment costs for each car will be paid for with various grants, said Cook, as reported by Vindy. Among the equipment purchases are onboard computers, radios, roll cages, and reinforced bumpers.
Every commissioned officer in the sheriff's department has his or her own cruiser to drive, Cook said. He acknowledged that departmental policy calls for each of the 41 officers and supervisory employees, such as lieutenants and sergeants, to take their vehicles home with them at night.
The policy is meant to improve efficiency by allowing deputies to report to their assigned area from home rather than drive to another location to pick up a cruiser, Cook said. Deputies working court security are included in the policy.
