- Lorain County deputies say 41 cruisers may be repossessed Monday.
- Officers removed radios, weapons, and gear from all police cruisers.
- County says budget cuts are hitting multiple public departments.
In what sounds like a bad joke, but isn’t, citizens of Lorain County in Ohio could soon face much longer wait times when they call the police. Why? According to the Sheriff’s Office, the county government has defaulted on lease payments for its patrol cruisers. On Monday, the rental car company, Enterprise, might repossess 41 units.
The warning came from the Lorain County Deputies Association, which issued a sharply worded public statement saying county commissioners failed to pay roughly $57,000 in lease payments owed to Enterprise Fleet Management.
Read: Off-Duty Cop Stopped For Suspected DUI And Then The Cameras Turned Off
According to the association, deputies have already begun removing weapons, radios, emergency gear, and personal items from their cruisers in preparation for turning the vehicles over.
The statement is about as direct as a letter could be. It accuses county leadership of putting both the police and residents in a dangerous position.
“Are the commissioners going to offer us rides to the next call for service?” the letter reads. Secretary Matthew Lawson finishes the communication by asking, “Does anyone have contact details for Uber?”
Some residents initially thought the announcement was a prank. In response to one comment, the deputies replied, “We have been looking for Ashton Kutcher to jump out anytime now, but the commissioners probably forgot to pay his bill also!”
According to News 5, the county is cutting budgets all over the place. Other offices, including the county auditor’s department, have reduced operating hours as a cost-saving measure.
“We’ve put all the agencies in a difficult position,” Commissioner Marty Gallagher said last week. “Unfortunately, we had to make those tough decisions. We all have to hunker down. We have to budget our money better. Unfortunately, some of the services have to be cut.”
If the repossession proceeds, local authorities will have to sort out a new way to get around to get their work done.
