Sheriff's door always open

To The Eagle:

I feel a portion of my duty as sheriff is to inform the citizens of the operational aspects of my office when I can. One part of the operation is vehicle management. We rent our vehicles from Public Works/County Roads Department and pay into a fund for equipment, repair, and replacement.

Over a period of years and as mileage increases, a formula is used to calculate vehicle replacement. Typically, we try to replace cars with cars and SUVs with SUVs. However, I feel SUVs are more appropriate for patrol use in our county due to the terrain and weather-related issues we face. We usually try to start replacing vehicles at 120,000 miles or so, which makes the vehicle five or six years old at the time of replacement.

The sheriff’s office recently replaced a nine-year old 2002 Chevy Tahoe with 152,000 miles. A 2011 Chevy Tahoe for $8,000 dollars off the listed State bid rate became available. A dealership incorrectly ordered the wrong color of vehicles for another law enforcement agency. This forced the State to sell the vehicle at a lower rate, but yet it’s a brand new vehicle. I presented the proposal to Pete Ringen of Public Works and then to the Board of County Commissioners. All agreed on the need for replacement and the opportunity to purchase a vehicle at a cost-saving price. If you have any questions on this or any other matter, my door is always open.

Jon L. Dearmore

Wahkiakum County Sheriff