MONTICELLO- The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office was given $360,000 in the 2024 county budget approved by the outgoing legislature to purchase new patrol cars. To keep up with the patrol car replacement schedule, purchases are needed every two years.
Legislator Luis Alvarez (D, Liberty) voted in favor of the budget and said that the need for dependable vehicles is essential.
“Your life is in danger, and you don’t want to know the car is broke in the middle of the road,” he said. “You want to know that the deputy will be there. We’re not wasting the money, we are using the money to provide the service to the residents of Sullivan County.”
Undersheriff Eric Chaboty noted that the new vehicles were needed because of the wear and tear police cars experience operating around the clock. He also said that the new vehicles, which cost around $45,000 each, have gone up significantly in price. He noted that previously police cars could be purchased on state bid at a reduced rate but in recent years that purchasing method was discontinued. Now, the county and other municipalities are paying more for vehicles.
The Sheriff’s Office does all it can to extend the life cycle of every vehicle. They bring vehicles that are beyond repair to an area they call “the boneyard” where they are stripped for parts that are still on the road.
“We have the cars because we have the need to serve the public and respond to the public,” Alvarez concluded.
