Pipeline payout

Fayette County’s sheriff has taken big steps to upgrade his department’s aging fleet of vehicles, largely due to fees received for providing pipeline security details.
Since taking office a little more than two years ago, Chris Smith has been working to find ways to replace a older fleet of vehicles with high mileage … and, thus, high maintenance costs.
His efforts have been boosted within the past year with payments totaling a little more than $100,000 for having his department’s staff provide security as pipelines were being laid through Fayette County.
“The pipelines have definitely been a blessing,” Smith said. “Every sheriff along the pipeline has benefited from that.”
For the most part, that security work has involved “parking a vehicle with a deputy.”
Throughout the time that it provided security, Smith’s department had only one incident, with two protestors being arrested for trespassing.
Since taking office at the beginning of December 2014, Smith has purchased four vehicles – a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe, a 2015 Tahoe, a 2015 Ford F-150 pickup and a 2017 Ford pickup.
The 2014 Tahoe was the last department vehicle to be purchased with money in the sheriff’s budget. And there’s no money in the new budget, as the county board works on cutting expenditures.
The 2015 Tahoe was a gift from the Howard G. Buffet Foundation, established by a philanthropist who has farmland in this part of Illinois and provides funds for law enforcement agencies.
The 2015 pickup was purchased using proceeds from the sale of seized and impounded vehicles, along with some pipeline security money.
The latest purchase, which has been delivered and is being equipped with radios, was also being purchased with pipeline security funds.
That vehicle will be used by Smith, who has in recent years been using a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe with 208,000 miles on the odometer. It is one of the seized vehicles that has been or is being used by the department.
Chief Deputy Larry Halleman is driving a 2006 Pontiac GTO with 104,000 miles, and the department’s investigator, Steve Coody, is driving a recently seized 2010 Ford Explorer with 87,000 miles, which replaces a seized 2005 Chevrolet pickup.
The other vehicles in the fleet include four 2010 Ford Crown Victorias, with mileage ranging from 40,000-162,000; two Dodge Chargers, each with more than 65,000 miles; a seized 2002 GMC pickup with 160,000 used by the jail administrator; and a 2006 seized pickup used for maintenance.
Two Crown Victorias, 2009 and 2011 models, are used for inmate transfers and as backup squad cars.
One of the Crown Victorias and the two Chargers were used vehicles purchased from the Missouri State Police.
Smith said that he still has about $38,000-$40,000 left in pipeline security monies.
“We still have some funds left, and we’re trying to figure out what our best option is, either buying another new vehicle or two more used vehicles (from the Missouri State Police),” he said.
In addition to trying to keep a fleet updated, Smith also has to deal with maintenance on the older vehicles in the fleet.
“Not only does mileage catch up with you, but age catches up with you,” he said. “Those squad cars go through some time tough times.”
In the past year, Smith spent about $33,000, not including tires, batteries and fuel, “just to keep them running.”
And in addition to buying vehicles to update his fleet, Smith has to equip them properly as squad cars. That includes two radios, emergency lights and cages.
“Some of the radios can be used again, but some of them are seven or eight years old, and they are used every day,” he said.
Smith said that with the pipeline security money, along with the funds from the sale of seized and impounded vehicles, “we’re making headway.
“The sad part is, it still doesn’t get you out of trouble,” he said.
“While you’re struggling to keep getting some new or quality used vehicles, you’re also having to deal with the expenses of keeping the older ones going.”