(WYMT) -The Loyall Police Department received donated vehicles from other sheriff’s offices in Kentucky after the two-man department struggled with an aging fleet that would often stall during emergency calls.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office both donated vehicles to the department. Chief Charles Bailey and Officer Ben Pace cover the streets in the small town.
“It has a lot of mechanical issues. it cuts out at speed. It’s just not safe to be running emergency calls in. You don’t want the vehicle to shut down when you’re trying to get somewhere in a hurry,” Bailey said.
Lincoln County officials said providing a reliable vehicle is about more than just transportation.
“The biggest thing with a police car is that’s your office. You know, you depend on that to get you back home at night. You know, you got to make sure you got a safe car to get you to the emergency to help someone else’s family. I always looked at it as if we don’t have a safe or reliable vehicle to get us to the emergency, how can we help someone, you know,” said Michael Mullins, chief deputy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle Lincoln County donated was one that was previously donated to them from another department. Mullins said it feels good to pay it forward because he understands what it’s like as a small department not having the funds for necessary equipment.
With a tight budget and no room for upgrades, the department turned to social media for help.
“It’s great to see communities come together for the greater good and it definitely helps us financially because we don’t have the money to buy new cruisers,” said Clark Bailey, mayor of Loyall.
RidgeNet Public Safety Solutions COO Alex Wilson saw the department’s need online and donated all the new graphics, made vehicle upgrades and installed new interior lights for free.
“Being able to assist agencies during times of need is one of the greatest honors of what we do, and this project is a perfect example of how law enforcement agencies, local businesses, and community partners can come together to make a meaningful difference,” Wilson said.
“They decaled it for us, and updated some lights in it,” Bailey said. “It just warms my heart that people out there… care enough to help us.”
Bailey said the department is in the process of receiving a third donated vehicle soon. He said the fire department is in need of an updated fire engine.
He hopes that one day, his small department will be in a position to pay the kindness forward to another agency in need.
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