Algood Votes To Purchase Unmarked Vehicle

The Algood City Council voted Tuesday to use drug fund money to purchase a $25,500 dollar unmarked vehicle for the police department.

Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler voted no and said it financially didn’t make sense to purchase another vehicle for the police department.

“Why can’t they use their personal vehicle and pay charged-mileage,” Chapman-Fowler asked. “Would it not be just as effective?”

Police Chief Dale Armour said the unmarked Dodge Durango would be used for administrative purposes such as traveling to and from meetings or training events. The vehicle will not be used for patrol purposes.

“There’s a lot of times that we have to leave the city or county for meetings and training. An unmarked car doesn’t draw as much attention when you are out of town,” Armour said. “A normal marked police car carries equipment in it that’s target for thieves so an unmarked car would give us a little security.”

Armour said the unmarked vehicle would only be used for patrol purposes if something happened to a patrol car in the department’s fleet.

“If we ever needed to make an enforcement vehicle out of it….we could put lights and sirens on it and mark it up,” Armour said. “If we had a vehicle totaled out today it would take three to four months before we got the new vehicle in.”

The unmarked car will come at no cost to taxpayers as the city would use the police department’s drug fund to purchase the item. Armour said the drug fund holds money accumulated through drug seizures.

The council approved the vehicle purchase with a 3-2 vote.