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Lincoln County approves new deputy vehicle

IVANHOE — The Lincoln County Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a deputy squad vehicle purchase in the amount of $36,240, which included an equipment package.

Lincoln County Sheriff Chad Meester brought his request and a “satisfactory” bid from Lockwood Motors of Marshall for $27,240 for a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 and one from ProAction Safety and Sales of Willmar for the additional light board, push board and other standard equipment that would cost about $9,000.

“I don’t think anyone on this board can go buy a pickup for that, even without the light bar,” Commissioner Mic VanDeVere said just before he moved to approve the request.

Meester requested the purchase and up-fit of a new squad car for a deputy. He had addressed the board several weeks ago regarding the soliciting of prices. The squad in need of replacing is a 2011 Tahoe with approximately 140,000 miles on it. 

“The age of the vehicle has very few items covered by the manufacturer if they should fail,” he said. 

Prices were obtained from the dealerships that hold the contract for “state pricing” (pricing set by the state for governmental agencies) along with area dealerships for several types of vehicles.  

“The vehicles included Ford Utility Police Interceptor, Ford F150, Dodge Ram and Dodge Durango,” he said. “Due to the submitted prices, the Ford Utility Interceptor and Dodge Ram were the two lowest prices. My recommendation is to purchase the Dodge Ram from Lockwood Motors in Marshall because it was less than the ‘state pricing.'”

Along with the purchase of a new vehicle comes the equipment for deputies to operate it safely. Due to the lack of available lighting that can be refurbished and lighting controllers, these must be purchased, Meester said. One major concern is the proper amount of emergency lighting for public and officer safety. “Our squad cars a predominately white in color and tend to ‘blend in’ during fog and snow storms,” he said. “It is imperative that the proper amount of lighting be installed for adequate visibility for deputy and public safety.” 

The other equipment, such as consoles and prisoner partitions, are vehicle specific due to mounting points, wiring, air bags, interior dimensions and proper fit. 

“I also included a push bar due to the several thousands of dollars in repairs when hitting a deer,” Meester said. “The push bar is approximately the cost of a deductible and if it can save a hood, radiator, air conditioning or headlight housing, so this would be well worth the upfront cost.” 

A Minnesota statute outlines the requirements for color and markings of police vehicles, he said. 

“Our current fleet, except two squads, are not compliant and request the board to approve the up-fitting of a vehicle,” he said. “Along with being properly marked, the new style of graphics is an improvement from our previous design and very visible while out in public.”

Meester also had a concern about his own vehicle that he brought up during this time.

“My other item is discussing the recent engine mechanical problem with my assigned vehicle,” Meester told the Marshall Independent prior to the meeting and again to the council on Tuesday. “Preliminary assessment and estimate for repair is upwards of $4,000. The vehicle in running order that is a 2005 model year is valued anywhere from $7,200 to over $9,000. Since the cost of repairs is approximately one-third to one-fourth the ‘market value,’ my recommendation is not to repair the vehicle, but to decommission it and sell it ‘as is’ and use the amount to offset cost of a new deputy squad. I am not purchasing a vehicle for myself but using an older vehicle from the current fleet.”

Meester wrapped up his report with a brief update on the new Zuercher Records Management System/Computer Aided Dispatching. 

“This has been an exciting and challenging time for everyone at our agency, but I am proud to say many of the users are willing to learn and help others use the system,” he said. “There have been many occasions of learning experiences where the staff has come together to resolve the problem. There is still a continuous learning curve and times when something won’t work properly, but we will work through it.”

Lake Benton and Tyler Police chiefs Tony Seivert and John Spindler were on hand to support the assessment on the use of the Zuercher system. They, too, said they appreciate the ease of use and the professional look of the reports that get printed out from it. It enhances communications, they said.

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