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Council approves new police car purchase

By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer

Atmore City council members unanimously approved the purchase of five new police cars during their February 25 meeting.
After Jonathan Gibbs of Boy Scouts Troop 26 in Atmore led in the Pledge of Allegiance, the council took barely three minutes to approve the minutes of its February 11 meeting and give the green light to the vehicle purchase, which was the only item on the meeting agenda.
Mayor Jim Staff said the five 2019 Ford Explorer Interceptor vehicles were purchased from Johnson Ford in Atmore, which submitted the only bid, for $30,224 each.
Police Chief Chuck Brooks told council members that, according to Johnson Ford officials, police expect delivery of the new police cruisers “in about a week or so.”
The council had approved in September 2018 a similar purchase from the state bid program. That purchase, from Stivers Ford in Montgomery, was to have allowed the city to buy the police cruisers for $25,148 each.
City officials did not say why the purchase was re-bid.