HEARNE, Texas — Assistant Chief of Police, Miguel Vasquez does his best to make sure the everyday tools his officers in Hearne use are up-to-date.
“Safety is the highest priority for our officers, making sure their equipment is up to standard to where we know and they know what they are using is safe,” Assistant Chief Vasquez said.
Especially, when it comes to the vehicles they patrol in.
Chief Vasquez takes me back to a recent emergency where his equipment made all the difference.
“That particular day, I was in one of these newer, safer vehicles, and there was a shooting in an area where we know is a hill, and had I not been in a vehicle I knew was not safe, there were four people captured as a result of this shooting, I would have not pursued this vehicle to the end," Vasquez said.
While newer equipment is helping Vasquez’s team of officers on the road,
The department will lease the vehicles and reuse some equipment to offset costs for taxpayers.
“I did price out each of these Dodge Durangos if we were to fully equip them, $82,000 per vehicle. With this lease option we were able to spend $34,000," Vasquez said.
"We were able to contract the insulation and reuse some of our emergency equipment and we were able to save the taxpayers, the city, $50,000 with this option.”
Vasquez told 15ABC’s Chris Talley while Robertson County covers cities like Franklin and Calvert, they’re able to assist other departments to a better degree when they receive the call to action.
“There’s always that opportunity to be able to further support other agencies, and because we have the ability to do so, Calvert is six or seven minutes up the road, and with a safer vehicle we can get there quickly and safely,” Vasquez said.
