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Commissioners approve sheriff’s cruiser purchase and earlier hiring steps for a detective position
Summary
The board approved an immediate cruiser purchase using current‑year funds and authorized the sheriff to advertise and begin recruiting for a full‑time detective position budgeted for 2026; commissioners debated take‑home cruisers, compensable sign‑on practices, and procurement options for vehicles and equipment.
The Merrimack County Board of Commissioners voted to allow the sheriff’s office to buy a cruiser now and to begin early recruitment for a budgeted full‑time detective.
Sheriff David Croft asked the board to use available revenue this year to purchase a vehicle rather than wait for the March procurement cycle and noted that many part‑time deputies take cruisers home and are automatically ‘‘on the clock’’ when they sign on in their driveways. "They sign on in the driveway. They're on the clock," Croft said when commissioners raised concerns about off‑duty personal use and liability. He added that GPS tracking and onboard computers give supervisors visibility into vehicle movements.
The board discussed union‑practice risks if the county tried to stop the longstanding practice of take‑home vehicles for some deputies, and commissioners questioned whether the county was paying for idle vehicles. The sheriff’s team reviewed procurement pathways, noting state bid prices and private municipal‑fleet vendors; one vendor quote cited in discussion put an out‑the‑door per‑vehicle cost near $50,825. Staff also described estimated installation and equipment costs bundled into a roughly $7,500–$8,000 figure per vehicle.
After discussion, the board approved the cruiser purchase by voice vote and approved a motion allowing the sheriff to advertise and begin the hiring process for the detective position already budgeted for 2026. Any long‑term budget impact was to be reflected in the 2026 operating budget and remain subject to delegation review of appropriations.
