Vernon Police Department updating image

Daniel Walker

Vernon Record

The Vernon Police Department is in the midst of an image overhaul.
Two new white Chevrolet Tahoes joined the police department fleet on Friday, replacing two aged out black cars. The police department is switching from black patrol cars to white SUVs, and there are several reasons for the change.
“The black vehicles are just to hard to cool in the summer,” Police Chief Wayne Hodges said. “Then we started looking at what we could replace them with, the supplier could only guarantee a steady supply of white vehicles. So that was our canvas we had to build off of.”
The two new white marked Tahoes join a unmarked Dodge Durango. The department also has two new Tahoes that will join the fleet within the next few weeks.
“For years we were buying used vehicles, for the last five years we have gotten used vehicles. So we were getting high mileage cars from other agencies – these are hard miles, police miles, one we are replacing had over 140,000 miles on it and it was having very problematic maintenance issues. Maintenance on them all was eating us up. The cost to keep them on the road was getting to the place where it made more sense to switch our system of replacing the worn-out cars,” Chief Hodges said. “These Tahoes are all new vehicles, and they will replace high mileage cars. We have reused the cameras and some equipment, but otherwise we will have new vehicles for the officers – it will be a technology upgrade, a liability upgrade. The officers are very excited about getting them.”
Chief Hodges said that the plan is to cycle into new vehicles over several years.
“Obviously we can’t replace them all at once, our goal over the next 4 to 5 years is to rotate out the old fleet. But when we get them all cycled through, we will be able to get on a regular replacement rotation,” he said.
The PD is making other changes as well. Thanks in part to a grant, they have redesigned the department’s training room, including a 75-inch TV with wall mount bought with a grant. The department has a new badge. The badge design and shoulder patch have been incorporated as a wall design in the training room.
“I think it looks cool,” Chief Hodges said. “It is a professional looking workspace for training.”
The department worked to change up the uniforms, and the outer carriers for officers.
“I’m old school. I want the officers to look like police officers, and to be able to move and react quickly,” Chief Hodges said.

Vernon Police Lt. Tyler Bohannon, left, and Chief Wayne Hodges are pictured with the department’s recently delivered Chevrolet Tahoes. The vehicles are a departure from the black patrol units they replaced and sport a new graphic design.
Daniel Walker/
Vernon Record