Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Decatur police riding high in new SUVs
DECATUR — The Police Department will be sporting a new look, thanks to the arrival of a pair of new police SUVs.
Two 2020 Dodge Durangos hit the streets June 2 for the department’s first new police vehicles since 2015 when the department received a late model Dodge Charger.
Over the past year, the department began having maintenance issues with its aging fleet. The only SUV, which is a Dodge Durango, is a civilian model converted for police use. Police Chief Steve Grizzle warned the City Council during the March meeting “since the Durango is a civilian model it is top-heavy and could easily roll over, potentially injuring one of my officers.”
Grizzle also told the council, while this vehicle is still in decent shape, it needed to be sold while it still held some value.
In 2017, the department received donations of a few retired police cruisers from the Rogers and Bentonville departments. After having the cars repainted white with black stripes, the units were used by the department’s part-time officer. Unfortunately, a week after the cars went into service, one of the units was totaled during a police chase, leaving only one.
Two years ago, Joe Savage, acting police chief, obtained approval to buy a new police ready Dodge Charger for around $27,000. Both Savage and Grizzle repeatedly contacted the car lot that ordered the vehicle on a monthly and, as of late, weekly basis. They keep getting the same answer, “The car has been ordered and will be on our lot soon.”
Finally, the car dealer admitted the Decatur police car disappeared off their lot. This prompted Grizzle to look elsewhere for new units.
During the November council meeting, Grizzle presented a way to get cars the department needs with a payment plan the city could afford. The plan also covers the mandatory equipment the department needs.
“It is a lease program for law enforcement,” Grizzle said. “We pay monthly payments for the next four years instead of a large sum of money at one time. It also covers the mandatory new radios that we have to update due to the county going to a different type of radio. And it was to cover a new computer system in our cars if we still get to update, depending on ending cost.”
The Durangos, which are fully certified police units, cost the department $35,000 each. This included all the special police equipment, radios, lights bars, computers and a high-performance powerplant.
One feature these units have is a back seat with a high-density plastic shell allowing handcuffed individuals to ride with their necks and backs supported. Another special feature the SUVs have is a special seat belt system for taking prisoners to and from jail.
In most of the older police units, either cruisers or SUVs, after a prisoner is put inside, an officer had to reach over and grab the belt clip and buckle it from left to right. This meant that the officer risked getting spat on, bitten or receiving more serious injuries from those being transported.
In the new vehicle, the buckle clips into a holder attached to the front corner of the cage. Now all officers have to do is unlatch it from the front holder and click it into the female end of the seat belt attached to the lower left or right part of the seat — a new way to keep the officers safe.