Delivery woes finally easing for sheriff’s office vehicles

Janet Imrick

Randolph Hub

ASHEBORO – Consumers everywhere felt the delays caused by the slowdown or pause in manufacturing since 2020, especially those in the market for new cars. The Randolph County Sheriff's Office, which maintains a fleet of approximately 300 vehicles, felt similar pressure.

Lt. Greg Deaton, the fleet supervisor, said 2024 was a better year. He's still expecting eight new vehicles to be delivered, but the wait was worse in the aftermath of pandemic restrictions. Last year, he estimated he was waiting for 10 vehicles at one time, as shipments came in spurts.

"2022 and early 2023 was really rough trying to get some stuff in," he said. "You waited a long time, but now I'm starting to get equipment filtered in, and it's getting quicker."

Deaton, with three other full-time staff and three part-time workers, sees a steady stream of vehicles needing inspections, check-ups and repairs. Deputies' rides put in a lot of hours, whether on patrol, providing traffic control or attending community events. They must be inspected every 5,000 miles.

Deaton manages the fleet's inventory, purchasing, maintenance and inspections. In addition to the traditional vehicular maintenance, they need specialized equipment such as cameras, lights, grille guards and onboard computers.

"I might would order some stuff, and it'd take six to eight months. Especially metal products: consoles, push bumpers, and stuff like that," he said.

In 2020, with the arrival of the COVID-19 virus, U.S. states implemented social distancing rules. Manufacturing ground to a standstill as factory workers were sent home. This was compounded by shipping delays worldwide. In a report by the Federal Reserve Bank, the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index reached an all-time high during 2021. All the supply shortages and bottlenecks extended the wait lists and wait time for people like Deaton.

"Pennsylvania's where we get our batteries from," Deaton said. "COVID came through and shut the battery plant down. For a month, batteries were in short supply. At one time, brake pads were in short supply. It came and went at different spurts."

The sheriff's office was not alone in experiencing delays. Emergency Services is still waiting on ambulances they purchased in 2022. At the county commissioners' meeting in November this year, Chief Donovan Davis explained, due to Ford not allocating the VIN numbers, some vehicles they tried to purchase in July will not be ready until December 2025.

Deaton says that in 2020, manufacturers stopped keeping equipment on the shelves. Now, he has to order it and then wait for it to be built before it can be shipped. Depending on the manufacturer, some arrive within weeks, but others still take several months.

"Now, you order equipment, and you get in a queue, and they build it as you order it," he said. "I may have six Durangos stacked up for equipment and I tell them, 'I need consoles, computer mounts, everything to equip a vehicle.' But there may be 20 agencies ahead of me that have ordered the same stuff, and I have to wait in line."

For now, he and his team are still working hard on upkeep. "You can see we've got some equipment on the floor here now," he said. "We've got enough to work and keep us busy. I think it'll keep coming in now, and we'll be okay."