ROGERS CO., Okla. – The Rogers County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of eight new sheriff’s cruisers. However, it may be some time before MPs can get behind the wheel.
At least one of the new 2022 sheriff’s vehicles has been sitting in the department’s overflow since September of last year.
According to the sheriff’s office, the bond is a combination of supply chain and labor issues to add lights and sirens to the 2022 Ford Explorer.
While the sheriff’s office welcomes the new round of funding approved Monday by the Rogers County Board of Commissioners, they said the need to replace vehicles used for patrol is ongoing.
OHP was investigating a rollover accident involving a grandmother and two young children that RCSO responded to around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Fortunately, no one suffered any life-threatening injuries.
Sgt. Austin Fullerton said he is responsible for covering 711 square miles of county road on his patrol shift, and having a safe and reliable vehicle is key.
“It’s not uncommon to put 300 to 400 miles on a vehicle in a 12-hour shift,” he noted. “When that call comes in where someone is waiting for us to save their life, having a vehicle that responds accordingly is paramount.”
His 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe has 83,000 miles and has spent a lot of time in the shop over the past six months.
His new vehicle, a 2022 Ford Explorer, has been parked in the overflow since September, waiting to be “fitted”.
“That light bar, those lights that sit on the grill, those sirens that go off when you go down the road, all those things are in high demand right now,” Sheriff Scott Walton said. “You can have all the money you want, I mean if you don’t line up, you’re not going to get it.”
Walton said supply chain issues and labor shortages are hurting efforts to road-ready its new vehicles.
He said that’s also why it’s crucial to order the vehicles themselves ahead of time.
“I don’t want to say to anybody that I’m not grateful for the eight new cars,” Walton said, “but I can tell you in the same breath that we need eight more cars to follow.”
Walton said the newest fleet of cars probably won’t arrive for another 12 months.
Rogers County District 2 Commissioner Steve Hendrix said over the past four years the board has allocated more than $1 million to help upgrade the sheriff’s office’s aging fleet.
“This board is committed to providing the sheriff’s department with the equipment it needs to do its job safely,” he noted.
