Mercer County Sheriff's Department receives new cruisers

PRINCETON — Deputies’s cruisers get hundreds of thousands of miles on their odometers, but new purchasers are giving local members of law enforcement new vehicles making their duties easier, safer, and ultimately less expensive for the county.

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Department received five new Dodge Durangos this week, and could have six new Ford Explorers in its cruiser fleet, too, by next week, said Chief Deputy A.P. Christian. These cruisers will be fully equipped as well for law enforcement duties.

“We’ve got the money to fully equip them,” Christian said. “Computers, computer stands, gunlocks, all the bells and whistles. They come with protective cages for the prisoners. We’ve got them loaded down. To hit on the money part of it, we’ve obtained a federal grant for the six Ford Explorers and then we utilized budget savings when we came in under budget because of some federal grants and other avenues; and the county commission was kind enough to let us use that savings to purchase equipment; of course, the vehicles.”

When the other new vehicles arrive, every deputy in the department should have a newer-model cruiser “which, of course allows us to do our job more efficiently for taxpaying citizens,” Christian said.

“They’re in,” he added about the six upcoming cruisers. “They already have their logos on them. We’re waiting for the box that controls the lights. We’ve already got them. We’re just waiting for the little doodads.”

Christian thanked the Mercer County Commission and County Administrator Vicky Reed for her help with federal grant procedures.

“We’re always on the lookout for federal grant money to help take the burden of the taxpayers in Mercer County,” he said.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., recently announced a congressional directed spending request for $300,000 for buying six new cruisers and equipment. In July, the Mercer County Commission approved $343,655 for the other cruisers and the necessary equipment.

“We have not provided new cruisers to our officers in quite some time, so this really helps,” Commissioner Greg Puckett said. “I think one of the biggest assets is that even though we’re spending money, it saves the county money. Cruisers depreciate and it becomes more costly to keep them on the road. It becomes a major safety concern. The goal is to ultimately get on a cycle every four years or so, so we have a new batch. It works out great.”