COLQUITT, GA (WTXL) -- After years of having generic vehicles, one Georgia police department is adding color and some amazing art to its fleet
The Colquitt Police Department is slowly saying goodbye to their plain patrol vehicles and saying hello to a colorful and community-oriented look. Murals and other town icons are the focus of the new look, and people around town are taking notice.
"We had the black and white theme on the old vehicles," says Colquitt Police Chief, Hollis Smith. "Like I said, we're going to this. With the feedback we've gotten, which has all been great feedback, this is going to be the new look for the Colquitt Police Department."
The updated look doesn't come cheap. It cost $3,000 to cover the newest truck in the fleet.
Although there's a lot more detail on the cars, the community didn't pay a cent from their taxes. In fact, the new look was sponsored by community businesses.
"Chief Smith came by here and brought the idea up about he was wanting to do that and he needed some sponsorships from people to try to get the wraps on the vehicles acquired," explains Marty Kelley, the owner of Kelley Crop Insurance. "I was all for it. Anything to help the little town we live in."
Each vehicle that's wrapped is paid for, in full, by two businesses, with "Kelley Crop Insurance" and "Spring Creek Ford" paying for the first wrapped car.
"If it wasn't for local businesses doing this kind of stuff, there's no way we could afford to have something this nice," says Chief Smith. "There's just no way. The taxpayers definitely don't want to pay for it. I don't want to pay for it as a taxpayer when you can get something plain-jane for a lot cheaper.
Georgia's Mural City may be small, but Colquitt residents have big hearts, and it shows.
The older patrol cars will not be getting the new wraps since the vehicles will be replaced much sooner.
The Colquitt Police Department will have two more cars wrapped in the coming weeks.
