Bluffton council eyes another Interceptor for the police department

A second Ford Interceptor utility vehicle may join the Bluffton police force. On Oct. 8 Bluffton council okayed a request from Rick Skilliter, Bluffton police chief, to send a "letter of intent" to purchase a 2013 vehicle from Statewide Ford.

By approving the letter of intent the village freezes the price on the vehicle at $32,798. In September the village received its first Interceptor. Click here for a look at that vehicle.

Dave Steiner, a member of council's finance committee, said that the village is larger in area than it was several years ago. Police need to cover more ground and are putting more mileage on their vehicles. If purchased, the 2013 Interceptor will replace a police vehicle that has over 160,000 miles on it.

In other Monday council action two police department appointments were made:

• Luke Brodman was hired as a part-time office. He recently graduated from Rhodes State Colege police academy

• Roger Rhodes was hired as an auxiliary officer. He is a former member of the department. His son recently resigned from the Bluffton department to take a job with the Lima police department.

Other council action may be reviewed by opening the council packet, which is an attachment at the bottom of this story.