Upon hearing a report from its Chief of Police Duncan Wiggins, the Cadiz City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow Wiggins and his staff to seek out a new Ford Interceptor for the Cadiz Police Department — potentially costing no more than $37,000.
Wiggins noted there hadn’t been a new purchase for the police fleet during his tenure of roughly three years, and that one Interceptor had eclipsed more than 110,000 miles, and another 150,000 miles.
In order to save money on the all-wheel-drive SUV, Wiggins added that the intent would be to switch out all equipment from the existing vehicle to another — needing only backshields and a few special mounts to be a part of the cost.
Due to the considerable logjam of purchases in the automotive industry — and the severe lack of computer chips necessary for automated dashboards and circuitry — Wiggins also noted that any order wouldn’t be filled for the next 12-to-16 weeks, and thus wanted to bring attention to the issue now as the mileage creeps higher.
He’s also looked at the cost of a police-outfitted Chevrolet Tahoe, which he noted ran around $42,000, which makes the Interceptor much more cost efficient.
At the heart of discussions came one question from councilwoman Susan Bryant and councilman Frankie Phillips: can monies collected by levied Alcohol Beverage Control taxes (set at 6%) and other regulatory fees go to the purchase of new police vehicles?
Absolutely, noted the city’s attorney, Allen Wilson.
According to the city’s public record, more than $114,000 in taxes were collected in 2018, and more than $100,000 has been collected annually since 2010.
Wiggins noted September was a “busy month” for his staff, as well, with 17 arrests made, 517 calls for service administered, 15 vehicles stopped, 26 citations issued and 19 traffic accidents worked — including two with injuries and one with a fatality.
The Cadiz Police Department currently has eight officers, including Wiggins and a code enforcement officer, and Wiggins said one position still remains open on staff.
