CRESTVIEW — Three former Crestview police cars will be donated to the Okaloosa County Correctional Institution.
Police Chief Tony Taylor received the request from Warden John Willis, who did not indicate in his request what the vehicles would be used for.
Taylor said the 1998 and two 2003 Ford Crown Victorias are “beyond useful life for law enforcement applications” and “would cost more than they're worth to repair and bring up to standards for field use.”
The City Council unanimously approved the request.
Each vehicle is worth no more than $500 “based on prior auctions of similar vehicles in similar condition,” Taylor said.
In his request for council approval of the donation, Taylor noted the city might realize a small reduction in its vehicle insurance by removing the cars from inventory.
But mostly, he said, the donation will continue the goodwill and cooperation between the Department of Corrections and the Crestview Police Department.
Currently the city receives almost daily inmate labor services, and the police department relies on Corrections' bloodhounds for search and rescue operations.
Taylor said he checked before making his request to the council, and no other city department was interested in taking responsibility for the vehicles.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Old Crestview police cars donated to Corrections