MPD Getting 26 New Dodge Chargers

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Get ready to see a lot more Dodge Charger police cars around town in the near future.

The new Macon-Bibb Sheriff’s Department will have 26 new cars in January, but for now, the 2013 Dodge Chargers will be taken care of by the Macon Police Department.

Tonight, the city’s appropriations committee approved the purchase, which will cost nearly $600,000.

Another $145,000 will go to putting blue lights and other safety equipment on the cars.

Since the sheriff’s office will use them after consolidation, committee members were hesitant to approve
such a large purchase without Sheriff David Davis’s approval.

Davis showed up to let the committee know he supported the purchase, even though the cars can’t legally be used by the sheriff’s office until January.

“There’s still the question of what kind of striping we put on these vehicles once they’re purchased,” says committee chairman Tom Ellington.  “Because they’re probably going to be out on the road for a little bit before consolidation and they won’t be sheriff’s cars at that point.  They will be police cars, and we don’t want to mislead the members of the public.  Of course, if you stripe them once, then you have to stripe them again.”

Gibson Wants MPD To Get More Tasers

The police department could also be getting more tasers soon.

Councilman Henry Gibson says all of the department’s “first responders” need them to be able to use as an alternate weapon.

Committee chairman Tom Ellington tells us the weapons could show up on his committee’s agenda at its next meeting in two weeks.

Last month, Mayor Robert Reichert and Chief Mike Burns announced the department would be adding 60 tasers this fiscal year.

The full council meets Tuesday night at 6.