Sheriff's Department seeks to update cruisers, equipment

By PATRICK J. CROWLEY, Reformer Staff
Brattleboro Reformer

Tuesday, September 25
NEWFANE -- Starting with three new police cruisers purchased this month, the Windham County Sheriff's Department is trying to update its fleet and equipment.

The department is leasing three 2008 Ford Crown Victorias with mostly new equipment, and thus taking three aging cars off the road.

"Maintenance has been an issue since I got here," said Sheriff Keith Clark. He said the department has been dealing with high costs of keeping their fleet of 18 cars on the road.

So to solve their problem, Clark said the department plans to replace its entire fleet within four years. Next up is purchasing some 2005 Crown Victorias to replace some of the 2002 models the department is currently running.

In three years, he hopes to have everything back on a timeline for replacement, so they "don't have an entire fleet that reaches its end point at the same time," Clark said.

Of the three new cars, two are already on the road, while one is awaiting the installation of radio equipment. Instead of the old design -- a red stripe on white paint -- the new Fords have a gold stripe and a bold "Sheriff" printed on the side.

The cars, picked up on Sept. 11, feature all new equipment, with new light bars and prisoner screens, but the radios are slightly used.

Of the three cars that were taken off the road, one was stripped for parts and its hull sold while the other two were sold. All three were either the oldest cars in the current fleet or the most costly to maintain

The update of the fleet, Clark said, is one of the first pieces of a larger effort to modernize the Sheriff's Department.

In addition to the cars, Clark is working on creating an animal control vehicle that could possibly be used throughout the county. The department is also looking into the possibility of doing renovations and repairs to their building, an old jail across from the Newfane common. In addition, Clark is seeking to update the department's aging radio system.

"It's really not up to the current standards."

The three cars, according to Clark, mark the first auto purchase by the department since 2002.

Patrick J. Crowley can be reached at pcrowley@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 277.