The Jemison Police Department will soon purchase five new police vehicles for the department.

“We have some vehicles in our fleet of cars that are as old as 2004 and 2005 models,” said Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer. “A lot of days the vehicles are going for 12 hours non- stop so they get old pretty fast.”

Members of the Jemison City Council unanimously voted on July 7 to allow the Jemison Police Department to purchase five vehicles.

The council voted to approve resolution 07-07-14 R-1 that states the city would enter into a lease agreement to lease/purchase five police vehicles through Creative Leasing Company.

According to the resolution, the city would enter a three-year municipal finance plan of $51,055.06 per year with the first payment due Feb. 1, 2015.

Fulmer explained on Friday that part of the lease agreement would have the cars paid for within three years.

“You pay money on the cars for three years and then they are paid for,” Fulmer said. “Then you have a good 5-6 years out of them, verses paying for them all at one time.”

The new vehicles will be SUVs with two Ford models and three Chevrolet Tahoe models.

Fulmer said many police departments throughout the state and country have switched smaller model cars for larger Tahoe models.

“The Hoover Police Department has had Chevy Tahoes for years,” Fulmer said. “The maintenance on the cars are really low, and they have a lot of room for the different equipment we have to use.”

In January, when a snowstorm hit the state affecting Chilton County, Fulmer said it was difficult to maneuver the police cars due to not having all-wheel drive.

“I know the city of Clanton had two vehicles which they used during the snowstorm, and they found it to be very helpful because they could go around helping people with all-wheel drive,” Fulmer said.

The five new vehicles will replace older model vehicles to make a total of 14 in JPD’s fleet.

“We have 11 full-time officers, and I keep three spare vehicles,” Fulmer said. “The new vehicles will be dependable so that when a call comes through we can respond and they will be in good enough shape to be safe while driving. Sometimes these officers are put in predicaments where an unsafe vehicle is not good enough to be in. You have to have them dependable.”

Fulmer anticipates several of the cars to arrive in Jemison between 6-8 weeks.

Although Fulmer is unsure what he will do with the older model vehicles, he said there is a possibility the department might sell them or declare them surplus.

“The new vehicles will be a good addition to our fleet,” Fulmer said. “A lot of times these cars are the office for our police officers who are in them for sometimes 12 hours a day. We need to know they will be reliable and safe cars to protect the people in our city.”