photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office purchased a 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Super Bee at the end of 2021 to be used as a recruitment tool. It was first seen by the public at the 2022 St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office put its new muscle car on parade recently as Lawrence celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.

The new car, which made its debut — with an assortment of bells and whistles — in the March 17 parade, is a 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Edition, “Super Bee,” and it was purchased to serve as a recruiting tool for the office, said Sheriff Jay Armbrister. The car cost $48,000 and was bought using drug forfeiture funds, approved by the county administrator, he said.

“We decided to purchase it not only for recruitment and special events, but also as a backup patrol vehicle,” Armbrister said.

The sheriff can make purchases up to $25,000 out of the drug forfeiture fund and up to $50,000 with the approval of the county administrator, he said.

Before the car was purchased, that drug forfeiture fund had about $65,000 in it, according to Undersheriff Stacy Simmons.

The car will be outfitted for use as a patrol vehicle but will also be used for job fairs, parades and festivals, Armbrister said. Additionally, it will be used to patrol around the lakes and residential areas in the county, he said.

“The car is not perfect for inclement weather, so snow and sleet will be a challenge,” Armbrister said.

The last vehicle purchase that the sheriff’s office requested from the county was for eight 2021 Dodge Durangos for $290,000 in February of 2021, according to County Commission records. That purchase was approved 3-0 by the commission.

Armbrister said the car was an eye-catching conversation starter that he hopes will draw young people to consider a career with the sheriff’s office. Corrections officers, who work in the county jail, can start as young as 18 years old, and that can lead to a career in law enforcement, he said.

“An 18- or 19-year-old me would have seen this thing and wanted to know what it was all about,” Armbrister said.

He also said the car was an effort to humanize law enforcement and corrections officers and to show they have pride in their office and want to be noticed — notice that will give them an opportunity to talk about their work.

“We are an entire agency of human beings who like representing this office, and we also like cool things, like this car,” Armbrister said.

The car also starts another conversation, one about asset forfeiture money, Armbrister said. The money is strictly regulated by federal and state statutes; it can be used only for certain types of equipment, including vehicles, he said.

The money the office has seized from drug busts accumulates over time and cannot be used for things the sheriff would prefer to spend it on, like treatment for addiction and mental health, he said.

“Even if they (the public) disagree or dislike us, I still want to hear from them and let them know where we stand on things such as asset forfeiture. This investment has done exactly that,” Armbrister said.

The sheriff’s office uses the seized money for other equipment as necessary, but overall the office is well-equipped, and Armbrister said he would rather see the money funneled back into the office instead of sitting in an account.

“This money was seized from the drug trade and should be turned around to stop the addictions that fuel that trade,” Armbrister said.