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The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office has expanded it’s patrol vehicle fleet. On Aug. 23, deputies picked up four new white Dodge Ram 1500 four-wheel-drive pickup trucks equipped with police packages — lights, sirens and cages.

The new vehicles were purchased to replace older units and cut down on the cost of repairing the aging fleet.

“The majority of the vehicles we have now were purchased seven or eight years ago,” West said. “So they are starting to accumulate repair bills. They have all kinds of issues every week. With the money we were spending every month, it just didn’t make sense to keep patching up the vehicles when we could invest the money in something else.”

In January, the Lowndes County Commission approved funding for the Sheriff to purchase three new vehicles for $35,000 each. Due to a cost increase, West requested additional funding in May, but commissioners did not grant the request and the Sheriff’s office provided funding for the fourth truck.

“I want to thank the County Commissioners for making this purchase possible,” West said.

The patrol vehicles replaced by the new units will be sold, West explained.

“Hopefully we can take that money, the proceeds from those vehicles, and put together enough money to buy one or two more vehicles.”