HOSCHTON — The Hoschton Police Department may soon patrol the city streets in two new, fully equipped cruisers.
The department has a purchase agreement with Hayes Chevrolet-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep for two 2009 Dodge Chargers, currently being stored at the department’s facility off Pearl Industrial Boulevard.
“We do have the paperwork indicating that I took possession of the vehicles and we agreed on a price,” said Chief Jeremy Howell on Tuesday.
“But as far as signing over the actual titles of the vehicles and giving them the check, that has not happened yet.”
In September, the department received permission from the Hoschton City Council to purchase two new patrol vehicles in 2009 and one new vehicle in 2010. The money to purchase the vehicles will come from a recent lawsuit Hoschton settled with its former wastewater treatment engineer, Charlie Armentrout of Armentrout, Roebuck & Matheny Consulting Group.
No final settlement amount has been set, but city attorney Thomas Mitchell said last month he expected it to exceed $725,000. The department was allotted $90,000 out of that to purchase two vehicles in 2009 and $45,000 to purchase one vehicle in 2010.
In its agreement with Hayes, Howell said the city will pay $20,908 for each vehicle. He said usually a Dodge Charger costs $30,500, but the city received a discount on both vehicles because they were close out models.
“If we had to wait for the 2010 models to come out, we’d be paying approximately $10,000 more per vehicle,” he said. “With two vehicles, you know, that’s an extra $20,000.”
Howell said the department chose the Dodge Charger because of its safety, reliability and more fuel efficient V6 engine.
However, once Hoschton finalizes its purchase, the cruisers will still need to be equipped with lighting, sirens and other equipment.
During Tuesday’s public safety committee meeting, representatives from Thomas J. Madden and Associates Inc. brought a Dodge Charger and Chevy Tahoe to demonstrate different technology possibilities for the cruisers.
The Braselton-based company specializes in designing and manufacturing products for police, fire, ambulance, funeral, transportation departments and towing professionals.
Gadgets showcased ranged from grill guards to weapon racks to a voice command computer system.
The digital video system was among the features Howell favored for Hoschton. Right now the department uses a VHS system, which he said is not very reliable.
He also favored a solar cell panel, which sits on top of a cruiser and can charge officers’ equipment without the vehicle’s engine running. “It requires a lot of power to run all the equipment in the car (and) that pulls from the vehicle’s battery,” Howell said. “So the solar cell helps to charge the battery.”
Howell has also previously mentioned his desire to install computers in the new vehicles so officers can spend more time in the community doing work rather than having to return to the office to type up reports or perform other tasks.
No final decisions have been made regarding what equipment will be installed, and Howell said he will scrutinize each option before making a final decision.
“Before I purchase anything or get anything, I research the heck out of it,” he said. “We’re going to get what we need, we’re going to be able to justify what we need, but we’re not going to go any further than that.”
The department has a purchase agreement with Hayes Chevrolet-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep for two 2009 Dodge Chargers, currently being stored at the department’s facility off Pearl Industrial Boulevard.
“We do have the paperwork indicating that I took possession of the vehicles and we agreed on a price,” said Chief Jeremy Howell on Tuesday.
“But as far as signing over the actual titles of the vehicles and giving them the check, that has not happened yet.”
In September, the department received permission from the Hoschton City Council to purchase two new patrol vehicles in 2009 and one new vehicle in 2010. The money to purchase the vehicles will come from a recent lawsuit Hoschton settled with its former wastewater treatment engineer, Charlie Armentrout of Armentrout, Roebuck & Matheny Consulting Group.
No final settlement amount has been set, but city attorney Thomas Mitchell said last month he expected it to exceed $725,000. The department was allotted $90,000 out of that to purchase two vehicles in 2009 and $45,000 to purchase one vehicle in 2010.
In its agreement with Hayes, Howell said the city will pay $20,908 for each vehicle. He said usually a Dodge Charger costs $30,500, but the city received a discount on both vehicles because they were close out models.
“If we had to wait for the 2010 models to come out, we’d be paying approximately $10,000 more per vehicle,” he said. “With two vehicles, you know, that’s an extra $20,000.”
Howell said the department chose the Dodge Charger because of its safety, reliability and more fuel efficient V6 engine.
However, once Hoschton finalizes its purchase, the cruisers will still need to be equipped with lighting, sirens and other equipment.
During Tuesday’s public safety committee meeting, representatives from Thomas J. Madden and Associates Inc. brought a Dodge Charger and Chevy Tahoe to demonstrate different technology possibilities for the cruisers.
The Braselton-based company specializes in designing and manufacturing products for police, fire, ambulance, funeral, transportation departments and towing professionals.
Gadgets showcased ranged from grill guards to weapon racks to a voice command computer system.
The digital video system was among the features Howell favored for Hoschton. Right now the department uses a VHS system, which he said is not very reliable.
He also favored a solar cell panel, which sits on top of a cruiser and can charge officers’ equipment without the vehicle’s engine running. “It requires a lot of power to run all the equipment in the car (and) that pulls from the vehicle’s battery,” Howell said. “So the solar cell helps to charge the battery.”
Howell has also previously mentioned his desire to install computers in the new vehicles so officers can spend more time in the community doing work rather than having to return to the office to type up reports or perform other tasks.
No final decisions have been made regarding what equipment will be installed, and Howell said he will scrutinize each option before making a final decision.
“Before I purchase anything or get anything, I research the heck out of it,” he said. “We’re going to get what we need, we’re going to be able to justify what we need, but we’re not going to go any further than that.”