Ellettsville Police Department Deputy Marshal Zachary Michael was recently assigned a new police cruiser, a 2016 Dodge Charger sporting the new police department decals.
The new cruiser replaced a 2010 vehicle. Michael will be its sole driver.
EPD purchased the car as part of a developmental plan to replace two patrol vehicles each year.
Once a patrol vehicle is replaced, it is added to “the pool,” a collection of vehicles shared by part-time and reserve officers. Vehicles in the pool are not typically driven every day, unlike their patrolling counterparts. The oldest vehicle in the pool is sold by auction with each addition.
New patrol cars are cycled out of the department within 5 to 7 years.
But with every rule, there is an exception.
EPD is in the process of restoring a 2005 Dodge Durango with 50,000 miles on it that it already owned for a different kind of service.
Town Marshal Jimmie Durnil said he expected the Durango to be used to transport targets and ammo for shooting practice, materials for the Monroe County Fall Festival, a trailer carrying the department’s four-wheelers, and other things that cannot be transported by car.
It will also temporarily replace a police cruiser in the winter during periods of snow due to its four-wheel drive or during floods.
Residents should expect to see it in parades, as well, once the restoration is complete.
“I think we can get another 8 to 10 years out of it,” Durnil said.
The new Dodge Charger with a complete set of equipment and new decals cost the department about $32,000. Most of the work for the Durango has been done in-house and set the department back about $3,500.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2016. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.