Syracuse Town Manager Mike Noe, left, Syracuse Police Commissioner Tom Hoover, Police Commissioner Bill Musser and Commissioner Larry Martindale, consider a point raised by Syracuse Police Chief Jim Layne, not pictured, during the Syracuse Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners held Tuesday morning, Dec. 15.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners held a brief meeting Tuesday morning, Dec. 15, to review 2020 and approve purchasing three new vehicles for the Syracuse Police Department.

Police Chief Jim Layne noted that through November there have been 5,106 calls for service. Other highlights from the report were 43 filings for warrants where information from an investigation is sent to a prosecutor to review for an arrest warrant. There were 8 hours of overtime worked and 15 reserve hours worked. Layne explained these numbers were much lower than normal due to the pandemic.

Layne told the commissioners training hours were also down due to the pandemic.

He presented quotes to replace three police vehicles. Layne would like to encumbrance funds from 2020 into 2021 to purchase and outfit two Dodge sedan squad cars and a pickup truck which would be used for hauling duty such as transporting equipment to the range or large pieces of evidence from the scene to an evidence room.

The estimated cost of all three vehicles would be around $100,000. Commissioner Bill Musser asked Layne why he wanted Dodge over another brand. Layne explained Dodge still offers sedans while Ford and Chevy did not.

Commissioner Tom Hoover asked about selling the older cars being removed from the fleet. Layne explained that would be hard to do since there would be holes in the interior of the car due to the cage between the front and back seats and the computer console in the front being removed before the sale.

Layne mentioned there was a donation program with the Indiana Police Training Academy. The commissioners suggested Layne look into the program.

The estimated delivery for the new vehicles is six months since Dodge is undergoing a change over in its plants.

Layne told the commissioners he will also be ordering new evidence cameras as well as ordering new vests for reserve officers. The vests need to be replaced every 5 years.