PC Council considers police car purchase

The Phil Campbell Police Department might welcome a used, fully-equipped – lights, cage and other typical police car accessories – vehicle to its fleet soon, as long as the city can find a suitable option that doesn’t exceed the $30,000 cap the council agreed on during its Jan. 4 meeting.

The council arrived at the figure based on the price range such cars normally go for, with a little extra room for a safe margin. A potential option the council had looked at during its previous meeting was $26,000.

During the Jan. 4 meeting, Mayor Mike McQuary explained he had called San Antonio-based Southwest Public Safety that day, noting that while they were out of police vehicles, more were expected to become available the next week.

According to the council, the aim is to try to get the price to come in under $30,000 if possible. “They usually run under $30,000, generally ranging anywhere from $20,000-$27,000,” said McQuary. “We won’t have a very big window of time to take action if a car becomes available. They sell quickly, and we’ll have to be ready to act on it.”

During a previous Council meeting Nov. 2, McQuary explained police car purchases would be needed because the current vehicles are “going down in condition.”

Phil Campbell Police Chief Jessica Clements said she’s excited about the possible purchase of a patrol vehicle. “We only have two at the moment, one of which is very high mileage and has issues.”

Clements said it’s important to have reliable vehicles in order to help with responding to calls in a timely manner. “It’s also good for us to be able to be seen more often out in the community. I want the police department to represent the Town of Phil Campbell in the best way possible, and old and unreliable vehicles don’t do that.”