August 6, 2021 |
In a shocking report to town council this week, a Saratoga Police truck sounded as rough and as redneck as it can get. The vehicle is held together with glue and duct tape. The police force is not only running short-handed, the police truck Sergeant Justin Brown uses to patrol town with his K-9 is near the end of its life. Chief Lehr brought up the issue during his report to council.
Council members were receptive to fixing the problem, and did before the meeting was adjourned. The urgency of the situation gave them no choice. Sgt. Brown described a truck that was lucky to make it out f the town hall parking lot, let alone through a shift tracking down bad guys transporting felony amounts of cocaine down the state highway or resuscitating petty drug users at the hot pool.
The sergeant also explained that the truck is not suited for his partner, a K-9 officer named Hobbs. One issue — it’s not equipped with a door popper. A door popper is a remote control device that an officer carries on his person. If in trouble, the officer can pop open the door to the cruiser from a distance, allowing his partner to leap into action and take down a bad guy. Brown said his vehicle doesn’t have a popper or even a proper kennel.
That issue Brown referred to is apparently is both big and small time drugs. Bigfoot 99 will have more on that Monday.
Before the meeting adjourned Tuesday night, Sgt. Brown told council at that a 2016 Ford Police Interceptor, service ready and suitable for the job, was available in Kansas.
After reviewing town ordinances on vehicle purchases, the governing body decided that because the unit is used and priced under $35,000 it could move ahead with the emergency purchase. Council unanimously approved the purchase of SUV style cruiser without the need of going out to bid. The vehicle should be here in within a week.
Pictured above: File photo of Saratoga Town Hall/Police Department. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
