By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Police Department vehicle replacement plan for 2025 includes the replacement of one of the vehicles assigned to a school resource and D.A.R.E officer. Police Chief Steve Haulmark said the vehicle is utilized for community outreach and events as well as for educational opportunities.
"The money to pay for this purchase comes from the State of Kansas," said Haulmark. "It goes into our SRO / D.A.R.E. line so it doesn't come out of general funds. We asked for quotes from Marmie's and SERV (Superior Emergency Response Vehicles) out of Andover. SERV is who we go through to get all our vehicles upfitted."
The quote from SERV was $69,238 total for the vehicle and upfitting. The base price from Marmie Chevrolet was $55,000. The Great Bend City Council approved the bid from Marmie’s for the new SRO/D.A.R.E. vehicle for $55,000 and for upfitting the vehicle from SERV in an amount not to exceed $12,000.
The Police Department’s 2025 budget also has approval for the purchase of a new detective vehicle. Instead of purchasing a new detective vehicle this year, the current SRO / D.A.R.E. vehicle that is being replaced will be retained to be used as a detective unit vehicle, saving the city money during this budget cycle.