Pinal County Goes Retro

From Joe Pyritz:

Looking back is not necessarily a bad thing when you are in law enforcement.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has revealed a new color scheme for their patrol vehicles that makes one wonder if they have stepped into an episode of “Adam-12.”

The County’s Fleet Maintenance Dept is currently giving the patrol vehicles a make over to a black & while, rather than just a one-color scheme. Also included is a new decal design.

“The Sheriff thought that this would improve the visibility of the patrol vehicles,” said Fleet Maintenance Director Rey Flores. “Many departments across the country are going to these colors. Everyone knows that black & white cars are usually police vehicles. They tend to be more noticeable and the deputies like it.”

Flores then added when he pointed to a recently painted vehicle: “This painted exactly to the LAPD paint scheme.”

Other improvements include to the patrol vehicles-new LED emergency lights which use less electricity and last longer, window frame guards, reinforced door panels in the passenger section & a new fire suppression system.

“These upgrades improve the safety of the deputies in the field,” Flores said.

Another improvement to the fleet of public safety vehicles includes an inmate transport bus purchased for only a dollar.

The 48 passenger Bluebird bus was purchased from Maricopa County through an intergovernmental agreement. The bus will be used to transport federal inmates to & from the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility to the ICE holding center.

Flores said the bus comes complete with the equipment needed to transport inmates.

“We were at the Maricopa County fleet yard when we saw these busses,” Flores recalled. “We asked what they were going to do with them, which they replied they were going to sell them at auction. We were in the market to get a transport for the federal inmates we are holding at our Adult Detention Facility & this popped up.”

Flores and his staff recently repainted & placed Pinal County decals on the vehicle, which is now in service. He added that a new bus would cost the County into 6 figures.

“The County got a deal,” Flores said.