Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department is looking to make new equipment purchases with plans to buy two new vehicles and upgraded TASERS.

In a meeting Monday, Sheriff Billy Sollie asked the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors to approve the purchase of a 2021 Ford Cargo Van. Sollie said the van would be used to transport inmates.

“We are in desperate need of a transport van to transport large numbers of inmates to MDOC’s custody,” he said.

The sheriff’s department has struggled to find vehicles as supply chain shortages have reduced the number of vehicles available. On Thursday, Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said the department had searched far and wide to find a van that would meet the department’s needs.

“There’s just nothing to be found,” he said.

Sollie told the board his department had gotten two quotes, with one van available locally and one in Jackson. While the one in Jackson was more expensive at $54,000 compared to the local van’s $46,000, he said, the van was in better condition and had significantly fewer miles.

LCSO also had the opportunity to take measurements of the van and confirmed the metal cage from the current van would fit with some minor modifications, Sollie said. Getting a vehicle that will work with the cage is a priority for the department as a new cage alone would cost about $40,000.

Sollie asked the board to also approve the purchase of a 2022 Dodge Charger from Lander’s Dodge at a cost of $31,7000. The charger would be used to transport inmates locally for court, medical appointments and other in-town trips.

TASERs

Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department is also coming up on the end of its agreement with TASER, Sollie said. The department’s current stock of TASERs is obsolete and no longer supported, he said, but there is an opportunity to both upgrade to newer equipment and extend the contract at the same time.

“We have a contract with TASER that we would like to extend our contract which would allow us to acquire the latest version,” he said.

The department’s current TASERs only have one cartridge for both long and short distances, Sollie said, while the new models have separate cartridges for each distance.

Calhoun said the county is in the final year of its 5-year agreement with TASER, and the company has agreed to put the final year’s payment toward a new contract while also upgrading the department’s equipment.

The agreement would also provide replacement batteries and cartridges at no extra cost.

“Right now we have to buy cartridges and batteries,” he said. “Well, this deal is we provide those for you. You use your TASER, you send in a report with it, and we give you one.”

Based on what the department has spent on replacement cartridges in the past, Calhoun said he would expect to save about $60,000.