Winamac Town Marshal Mark Hoffman presented Town Council members with multiple vehicle quotes when met for their January meeting.
Hoffman previously provided the council with some quotes and they asked him to obtain figures associated with the cost of a truck. He got the additional quote but noted that after speaking with some deputies about the trucks they use, there were apparently a few downsides to that type of vehicle.
He explained, “The turning radius is horrible, there’s no storage in them and the other big concern was that the seats are so high, if you get a combative prisoner, you actually have to lift them up to get them in there.”
He also noted that officers on his department would prefer an SUV over a truck.
According to the quotes provided, an Explorer would cost $36,607, a Durango would be $30,888, a Ram 1500 crew cab costs $27,993 and a Charger would be $25,797.
The only vehicle that was ‘road-ready’ was the Explorer, and Hoffman noted that it would also require a few other additions that would cost around $1,000.
There would be an additional fee associated with outfitting any of the other options which would run in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.
The council members ended up recommending going with the Explorer. A motion to that effect was made and passed with unanimous council approval.
