SHERIFF BALKS AT REFURBISHED PATROL UNITS

  

Washington County Sheriff Otto Hanak says refurbished patrol units are a bad idea.

Sheriff Otto Hanak

According to the Brenham Banner Press, Washington County commissioners discussed the idea with the Sheriff, Tuesday afternoon at a budget workshop, and the sheriff was not receptive to the plan.

Commissioners discussed purchasing refurbished vehicles instead of buying new ones for the department, which would be substantially cheaper than buying new vehicles.

Hanak, told commissioners that it was “a bad idea” and would not save the county any money.

Washington County Judge John Brieden

Hanak said if it “was a good idea, every department in the country would be doing it.”  He went on to say he couldn’t think of a single department that’s doing it.

“If this was such a great idea, this would have been discussed at sheriff’s conferences for the past 20 years. This is not a good idea.”

County Judge John Brieden said, a vehicle could be refurbished with a new motor, transmission and other items, at a fraction of the cost of buying a new one.

Hanak and Chief Deputy Jay Petrash, however, said the sheriff’s office uses patrol vehicles around the clock tries to extend the usable life of its vehicles as long as possible, with most having more than 200,000 miles.

Brieden said commissioners have made the same inquiry about refurbished vehicles to other county departments, as well.

 

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24 Comments

  1. As a law enforcement officer that has worked over 20 years on patrol I agree with Sheriff Hanak that refurbished patrol vehicles are a bad idea. The patrol vehicles being used by the Sheriff’s Office are not driven like regular vehicles and most deputies put over 300 miles a shift on their vehicles. Buying new vehicles helps to eliminate the risk of a vehicle going down on a way to an emergency call that might get a citizen of Washington County hurt or killed.

    I remember once driving an old patrol car with over 150000 miles, was on the list for new car but the commissioners had not approved getting them, responding to a shots fired call in Ledbetter where a man had shot at his wife. As I was approaching Burton the fuel pump went out and I was stuck on the side of the road for 5 minutes waiting for another responding deputy to pick me up in a much newer vehicle. Luckily Fayette County and DPS was able to respond and the situation ended peacefully.

    If the agency is forced to use used police vehicles even if they are “refurbished” situations like the one described will happen more often. It is better to buy new patrol vehicles that are reliable, have less breakdowns, and won’t leave a deputy on the side of the road while on the way to a emergency call. Some things can be bought on the cheap but patrol vehicles is not one of them. This is a BAD IDEA and hopefully the commissioners will listen to Sheriff Hanak and abandoned it!

  2. This is is one of the worst ideas commissioners court has come with. Patrol units get a lot of rough work. Have they ever heard of metal fatigue. How about the front ends, tie rods and the like. This is just a dumb idea. If they want to save money why don’t they look at ambulances. Have any of you seen how many lights those things have on them. It does not take that many lights to get traffic out of the way. I think they should look at cutting back on what they spend on ambulances. Quality of the service would not be hampred by cutting back on some things on those ambulances.

  3. Let me tell you a story:

    My teenager and some friends were out walking around a county road near home recently and one of WCSO’s finest stopped to check on them and remind them of some basic safety tips when they are out and about. As a mother, I am very, very glad he did that. I cannot be everywhere and kids need reminders. I want to thank him for his service, for keeping our beloved children safe and for handling them in a fatherly manner.

    Here’s another story:

    I am well versed in driving older cars with 200,000 miles or more on them. That’s ok for someone who only does in-town driving, but I suspect our officers do much more with their vehicles than we ever did. As cars age though, they become less and less reliable. The A/C quits working, shocks and struts and springs wear out, interior knobs and switches break, window motors fail, seat adjusters break, trunk latches break, leaks spring from obscure places… you get the point. It’s called planned obscelence. They’re made to break.

    To the observant citizen who commented above regarding officers cars parked at home during the day:

    My brother in law is an officer. Sometimes they work at night and sleep during the day. Their shift ends when the last call ends, and then they go home, maybe eat something or play with the kids for a minute, and then collapse into bed. That’s not every day, but I bet it’s a lot of them. Often, they work on rotating shifts. Days for a few weeks and then nights for a few weeks. Oftentimes, they are on-call and need to get somewhere important asap. They do a hard job. They can take their cruisers home as far as I’m concerned.

    I think that the men and women who commit their lives to protecting and serving our community deserve to have modern, reliable equipment in order to fulfill that committment. I don’t mind my taxes being used for that purpose. It’s worthwhile and necessary.

  4. They need dependable vehicles, not refurbished junk. They can’t do their job if their patrol car is in the shop. 200,000 miles is not just on the engine and transmission. The brake system, AC, body, electrical system, instrumentation, bearings, suspension, etc… are all worn out if they haven’t been replaced by now. I can’ t believe the commissioners are considering buying refurbished vehicles that the citizens will need to depend on in EMERGENCIES. Bite the bullet and buy new vehicles, save money somewhere that it doesn’t put peoples lives in jeopardy.

  5. Property Taxes are going up. School Taxes are going up. City Taxes are going up. I’m taxed to death. When you factor in Sales Taxes, Gasoline Tax (38.4 cents per gallon in Texas), Vehicle TT&L, Vehicle Registration fees, Vehicle Inspection fees, fees to own a trailer, boat, etc., it boggles the mind.

    Where does it end? I think it would behoove all Washington County voters to show your level of disappointment during the next election.

    Signed,

    Over Taxed Voter

  6. How do you know it won’t work if you haven’t tried it. I was told that the oldest vehicle in the fleet is a 2012 model, if this is true and these vehicles are said to be worn out,. we as taxpayers are not getting our moneys worth. To refurbish a 4 to 5 year vehicle old vehicle that last another 3 years for $15,000 to $18,000 makes more sense than spending $45,000 to $50,000 plus all the equipment needed which has been said to cost $6,000 to $8,000 to have it last only 4 to 5 years.There are also less expensive vehicles that can do the same job, why do they need Chevy Tahoes?

  7. What would the reaction be if the Commissioners instead suggested that all EMS units be old, used, refurbished units? People would balk at this idea. NO first responder (whether law enforcement, fire or medical) should have to rely on a used, refurbished or old unit. These units aren’t washing machines – they’re actual emergency vehicles responding to emergencies.

    Refurbish and repair the vehicles used by Road and Bridge if the Commissioners insist on using refurbished, but leave first responders alone.

    The real waste of taxpayers money seems to be the salaries paid to justify one 5-10 minute weekly meeting.

  8. Before commenting, perhaps folks should research this topic. Refurbished vehicles in this situation are typically vehicles that were turned in on leases, or otherwise sold from other agencies. Typically, these vehicles have about 50K-75K miles on them and they are priced in the neighborhood of $10-12K for cars and $15-20K for SUV’s. These units come with warranties, and most have lights, sirens, police packages on them. A fully equipped new unit costs about $40K or so. If you do the math on this, the used/refurbs are a significant savings over new vehicles. And correct me if I am wrong, but at some point every one of the S.O. units with over 200K miles at one time were units with 50-75K miles and they worked just fine. Those two things alone are enough for me to agree with the idea of at least trying it out on a limited basis to see if it would work for our county. Sometimes doing things the same way just because we’ve always done it that way is not the answer. Firemen purchase used fire trucks routinely and it works just fine. Why not give it a shot?

  9. So, I agree with the Sheriff that they don’t need refurbished vehicles. Other things can render them down on the side of the road besides the motor and transmission. Things like wheel bearings, u-joints and other. They need newer, reliable vehicles to do their job, but……..

    The bigger question we need to be asking here is why are ALL law enforcement agencies driving upper end SUV vehicles like Chevrolet Tahoes? The initial cost is much more, the maintenance is more, and the fuel costs are much more than passenger cars. It makes absolutely no sense to me when these vehicles are primarily used for highway miles.

    I guess it is just like everything else. One law agency buys Tahoes and the others have excuse/reason to follow suite. Sort of like the mega high school football stadiums that are popping up everywhere these days. Doesn’t matter if it is logical or makes sense, just the “gotta have it” mentality. This is what folks should be pushing back on.

  10. Maybe we should look at leasing vehicles from Automotive resources incorporated they manage the entire fleet of vehicles from fuel cards to repairs and replacements insurance etc.

  11. Didn’t we buy the sheriff’s dept new vehicles in the past 12 months? Are the commissioners suggesting that the county doesn’t have the money at this time and it might be wise to go the route of purchasing refurbished vehicles, instead of buying new vehicles and having to trade them in a couple of years for new vehicles again? That might be a good idea. If the county has the money and the sheriff and his deputies are doing their part helping keep the county budget in the black, then they might be due to get some new vehicles if the commissioners agree.

  12. whenever a vehicle has seen 200,000 miles of service everything is wore out and the safety of these vehicles are also not up to standards replacing the motor and transmission are just the tip of the iceberg I have refurbished a few old cars and trucks and I am always surprised to see things like the frame cracked or welds that break wires with insulation gone unseen little things that make a vehicle undependable .I personally think that all of our first responders should have new dependable vehicles.I know that the commissioners are trying to find ways to save money but please look else where

    1. I completely agree with this. There is so much more than just a motor and transmission which wears out over time. The suspension, brakes, brake lines, and computer system would likely all need to be replaced. Now, lets add the cost of all new parts, labor for install, and you are probably approaching the cost of a new vehicle which likely has a warranty attached to it.

  13. Now we know how and why there are bloated budgets, but I’m only a TAX PAYER, and the taxes in this county go up and up and up!
    If the body of the police car is undamaged I see no problem with a new engine and transmission….that’s what I do when my budget won’t permit a new car.

  14. I cannot fathom how the county commissioner can justify risking the lives of our deputies who are not only employees but husbands,wives, Mothers, Fathers, etc.
    These deputies are members of our community and you should respect and protect them at any cost. You need to review your Budget again and find the extra funds that it hold and proudly give it to the Washington County Sheriffs Department. Sheriff Hanak and his deputies are a asset to our community and to be treated as such.
    If YOU choose to purchase a refurbished vehicle for your personal use then by all means do so however putting our deputies in one of these is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the community.

  15. I must differ with the sheriffs department stating that vehicles are used around the clock. I have personally seen over many years, department vehicles parked at officers residences during their off duty periods in the daytime, and at times in adjoining counties. This Is during the day when there is a full compliment of officers on duty as one might expect. I agree that refurbished vehicles may be a safety concern. But perhaps money might be saved by expecting officers to use their own vehicles for transport to and from work, like the rest of us do, and truly using patrol vehicles around the clock, then fewer vehicles would be required.

    1. That is a great point. So, we buy each person in the department a new car to use 24hr/day, but when they are off, they still use the car to sit in the driveway?… kinda silly, if that is the case.
      If they are going to buy new cars, buy cars that are actually only for patrol. I am pretty sure we would only need 1/2 as many cars. Sheriff does not need that new car smell every couple of years, no reason not to buy a refurb since its an admin job. No need for expensive cars to be sitting in driveways all weekend either. Drive to work in personal vehicle and get in patrol cars that is available if that is your daily duty.

  16. Roma PD and Sullivan City PD both buy retired state trooper cars, and DPS has to be doing something with all the other hundreds of cars they retire. Plenty of departments buy refurbished cars. Pursuit vehicles should probably be new ones, deputies don’t need to be relying on worn out parts when chasing people at 100+, but the sheriff’s office also employs Transport units, who don’t likely have to have the brand new ones.

  17. Agree with John Brieden’s idea. It would save a lot of money and wouldn’t be passed on to tax payers. The monies could be used for other important things needed in the county. Why not try it and see how it works?

    1. What could possibly be more important than providing safe passage for the men and women who PROTECT AND SERVE the citizens of this county?

  18. Just like the old saying,” Penny Wise and Pound Foolish”! What a way to waste taxpayers money and hinder our law enforcement who work so hard for us.

  19. Why don’t they find a way to get the Fed to fund new vehicles, so we can all pretend that cost local taxpayers NOTHING.

  20. It just shows why and how budgets are so big.
    If the body of the car is not damaged I say do it, but alas I’M JUST A TAX PAYERS IN THIS COUNTY WHERE the taxes go UP AND UP AND UP!

    1. As a taxpayer in Brenham/Washington County I have to agree with Co Judge and commissioners we must be good stewards of the taxpayers money. Seems like every year our taxes or our property evaluations go up which in turn our taxes go up. I for one am tired of that! Now I’m not sure what makes the Sheriff’s office think they are entitled and should get what THEY want every year, but we as taxpayers need to remember the Sheriff position is also an elected position and if he feels he and his department are to good for refurbished then maybe as voters and taxpayers we need to elect him out of office!!!

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