As the month comes to an end residents of Picayune will notice some new Picayune Police Department patrol vehicles cruising the streets.
For some of the patrol officers these new vehicles will be considered a major improvement.
Anyone who has driven around the city long enough has seen the state of disrepair of many of the older Crown Victoria patrol vehicles.
Missing paint often produced rust spots, leading to a vehicle that could be viewed as an embarrassment to drive, even for the greenest officer.
At the same time, a taxpayer-funded department does not take vehicle purchases lightly. Vehicles for private use are expensive and therefore a long-term investment. When the special paint jobs, light bars and various safety features are factored in, the cost of a patrol car is typically more than the consumer version.
Our local department chose vehicles with enough power to chase down a suspect involved in a high-speed getaway attempt, but which also come with the technology to save on fuel when just cruising the streets.
It was that fuel saving aspect of these new vehicles that brought about the purchase of their first new vehicle last year.
Now, eight more of these solid black patrol vehicles will take to neighborhoods, providing a total of nine new Dodge Chargers for the department.
We expect our government agencies to use our tax dollars in the most frugal manner possible, while also meeting our daily needs to protect and serve.
It appears as though the Picayune Police Department has found the best method to retire those aging Crown Victorias and provide their officers with reliable transportation that will not break the bank.