Website helps PD add to fleet

Published 10:17 am Thursday, June 11, 2015

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Police Department will not only add three cruisers, but all of the department’s cruisers will be repainted and feature a new design.

“Two cruisers were given to us by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and we’re waiting to hear back from them about getting more,” Coal Grove Police Chief Eric Spurlock said. “One we bought from the Hinckley County Sheriff’s Department fully equipped with everything on it for $4,000.”

Spurlock said the department uses a website designed for police departments and the military where departments can post items that they no longer need or use for other departments to claim. The Coal Grove Police Department has used the site for cruisers, light bars, flashlights and K-9 inserts.

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“We brought in $75,000 worth of equipment for free,” Spurlock said. “Anything I do I’m trying to save money for the village.”

All of the cruisers the department obtained are Ford Crown Victorias with a 2011 model and a 2008 model with a K-9 unit from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office. The purchased cruiser is a 2010 model.

All of the new cruisers have about 120,000 miles on them, but were well maintained and run well, Spurlock said.

The design of the Coal Grove police cars is going from a white car with black design to black cars with a red and white design.

“I had it approved to get all of our cruisers painted like this, but it will take a couple of months to complete,” Spurlock said. “Our old cars looked awful and I wanted to change it with a new design. It makes us look better.”

All six of the department’s cruisers will be changed. The department’s SUV, however, will remain the same.

Spurlock said he has started to talk to other villages about using the same website to get new items. They are also in the process of using it to pick up a utility truck for the village.

“It’s a good system to use,” Spurlock said. “It’s just Ohio police departments looking out for each other.”