The Sheriff's Office will get five new patrol vehicles in 2013 and according to Deputy Chief Gordon Dibble the new vehicles will be bigger and safer than previous patrol vehicles.
For years, Ford's Crown Victoria has been the reigning queen of police patrol vehicles, but Ford has discontinued the Crown Vic. Last year the Sheriff's Office, like Batavia PD, acquired a souped-up Ford Taurus.
This year the Sheriff's Office is opting for an all-wheel-drive utility vehicle from Ford.
"We got the sedans last year and had some issues, so we think we might be better off with the utilities this year," Dibble said. "They sit up a little higher. They're easier for the guys to get in and out of. There's more space, more room in the back, obviously more cargo space. They do better on ice, and they'll have a longer life and higher trade-in value."
The $111,480 purchase price is accounted for in the county budget and the remainder of the $13,000 budgeted will be used to equip the vehicles for patrol work. The County Highway Department will mark the vehicles, which saves the county money.
The five utility vehicles are replacing five Crown Vics, one from 2008, two from 2009 and two from 2010.
On average, the vehicles have 130,000 miles on them, but miles driven doesn't account for all the wear on the engine from hours and hours of idling (police vehicles are rarely turned off).
The new patrol units are being purchased from the lowest bidder, Delacy Ford, 3061 Transit Road, Elma.
The old vehicles generated a total of $18,300 trade-in allowance.
