Council takes action to mark new police cars

Cloverdale police vehicles will be striped soon.

The police department recently purchased three new Dodge Chargers that are currently unmarked. However, the Cloverdale Town Council voted in favor of striping the cars through Cyclone Custom Graphics, Fillmore, by a 3-2 margin, with council members John Davis and Judy Whitaker voting no on the measure.

Discussion on striping the new vehicles began last month when Council Vice President Dennis Padgett said he hoped to have all the town police and utility vehicles marked.

However, the board made no motion regarding the matter.

On Tuesday, board member Glen Vickroy told the remaining four members in attendance that he had recently visited Cyclone Custom Graphics and was told the vehicles could be marked for $150 each.

However, CPD Chief Charlie Hallam asked the board if he could offer his own proposal.

Hallam said he had been in touch with TKO Graphics, Plainfield, and told the board he was informed the vehicles could be marked at an estimated cost of $400 each.

"If we're going to mark these cars," Hallam said, "let's show off the professional pride."

Hallam said he had talked with Cyclone Custom Graphics before, but did not when he began searching for estimates to mark the vehicles.

Hallam also had his own design for the marking of the vehicles, which he presented to the board Tuesday.

Whitaker motioned that the issue could be tabled until the board was able to see graphics offered from Cyclone Custom Graphics, with Davis making the second.

But the board voted down the measure, 3-2.

Padgett then motioned to go with Cyclone's offer of striping the vehicles at $150 each.

"Why don't you get magnetic signs on them, that would be cheaper," Davis said.

Padgett said he simply did not want to pay $400 or more to mark the vehicles.

"I like this design Charlie," Padgett said, referring to what Cyclone had offered.

Hallam, however, asked the board if this would be an ongoing pattern when he approached it with anything.

On Wednesday, Padgett told the BannerGraphic that the board had discussed demoting Hallam at its February meeting, for various reasons, but elected not to do so.

Board President Don Sublett offered the second to Padgett's original motion, with the board voting 3-2 in favor of going with Cyclone Custom Graphics to mark the vehicles.

Hallam asked the board if he could approach Cyclone with his design and get an estimate and the board agreed.

He also asked if he could seek donations for the marking of the vehicles, to which the board said that was fine. But Sublett said the board had voted to mark the vehicles at $150 each, regardless of design.