Photo by Jessica Stewart / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

A Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department Durango sits on Faraon Street in front of the Law Enforcement Center Friday afternoon.

The rugged Dodge Durangos return like pack animals to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department’s parking lot late in the afternoon each day. On every shift, they patrol hundreds of miles of paved, gravel and dirt roads.

To the sheriff who has steadily grown the fleet, the rugged Durangos are an asset to the county, especially its rural residents.

To a man who wants his job, the sport utility vehicles represent excess — in a time of rising fuel costs and in an election that increasingly is focused on cost-cutting.

The Durango fleet

The Durangos’ predecessor, the Ford Crown Victoria, though a popular police vehicle nationally, could not stand up to the rigors of county roads and Missouri winters, Sheriff Mike Strong said.

One of his first major decisions as sheriff was to order six new Durangos. The SUVs cost about $1,100 more than the Crown Victorias, he said.

“Having that ground clearance and 4x4 is a huge thing with us,” Mr. Strong said.

Mr. Strong’s Republican challenger, Brian Carter, an evening road patrol supervisor with the department, has put tens of thousands of miles behind the wheel of various Durangos in the 18-vehicle fleet.

Though the Durangos are durable, he said the SUVs are not designed for the rigors of police work.

The cars are standard civilian models, except with a bigger battery to control emergency equipment, Mr. Carter said.

“They’re taken off the showroom floor … they’re not police cruisers,” he said.

Mr. Carter wants to phase out the bulky Durango line — except for the canine unit and a supervisor on each shift.

Mr. Strong wants to maintain the Durango fleet and find other ways to offset the higher gas costs.

Two other candidates for sheriff, Ron Fisher and Galen Higdon Jr., have not made the Durango an issue — although both have expressed interest in cost-cutting.

A thirsty hemi

Halfway through 2008, the Sheriff’s Department has expended 58 percent of its $151,000 gas and vehicle maintenance budget, according to county records. That’s nothing new.

Every year since the Durangos were added in 2005, the Sheriff’s Department, which includes the Drug Strike Force and courthouse marshals, has surpassed its fuel and maintenance budget — on average by about $44,700, according to records by the county auditor’s office.

The average fill-up per gallon to the Sheriff’s Department is 25 to 30 cents less than what the average St. Joseph motorist pays, since the county buys fuel in bulk. In June, for example, the Sheriff’s Department has been filling up at $3.31 per gallon.

But exactly how far the Durangos travel on each gallon in the tank is a varied opinion.

Mr. Strong said the Durango is rated for 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway — and the average, 16.5 mpg, isn’t too far off what the SUV fleet gets. He said the Durangos are equipped with a fuel-saving technology that drops the Hemi V-8 down to four cylinders at highway speeds.

Mr. Carter said he believes the mpg is more between 9 and 11 mpg.

Dodge’s Web site says a 2008 Hemi V-8 with a 4x4 is rated for 13 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway.

The St. Joseph Police Department uses Chevrolet Impalas. According to Chevrolet’s Web site, a 2008 Impala would get between 16 and 18 mpg in the city and 24 to 29 on the highway, depending on the engine.

The Police Department has 41 Chevrolet Impalas that get between 12 to 14 mpg. The city cruisers spend a lot of time idling, Police Cmdr. Larry Smith said.=

The SUV alternative

Mr. Carter said he could save the county more than $250,000 in four years in fuel and maintenance costs by reallocating the fleet to a cheaper, smaller vehicle such as the Chevrolet Impala.

For each new Durango, the department can purchase up to two used police cruisers, such as from the Missouri State Highway Patrol fleet. Mr. Carter said the patrol soon will retire used Chevrolet Tahoes, if the need arises for a bigger police cruiser.

Mr. Strong is against buying used police cruisers, since the Durango fleet is “tough and proven” and on average requires less maintenance than the Crown Victorias. After about a year or two on road patrol, the Durangos are rolled down to civil process or jail use and new ones are ordered, he said.

To offset the costs of purchasing new Durangos and filling at the pump, Mr. Strong said he has reduced the number of take-home vehicles at the command level and had other employees who are required to take home sheriff’s vehicles pay for the gas used in their commute.

He said he’s also trimmed costs in other areas in the department to absorb the extra gas cost.

In 2007, the Sheriff’s Department went $51,000 over its allocated gasoline and maintenance budget. Mr. Strong said he came about $176,000 under budget in the year.

He is also considering pairing deputies into one Durango, if gas prices continue to climb.

Ahmad Safi can be reached at ahmadsafi@npgco.com.

The story “Fueling the fleet a hot topic” on Page A1 of Monday’s newspaper requires a clarification. Buchanan County Sheriff Mike Strong said he has considered reducing the number of take-home vehicles at the command level but has not implemented the change.