RINCON — A Feb. 1 discussion about police vehicles during a special called meeting of the Rincon City Council was illuminating.

Before the council unanimously agreed to purchase four hard-to-get Chevrolet Tahoes for the Rincon Police Department at a cost of $252,272.96, City Attorney Raymond Dickey turned its attention to the blue lights designed to go on top of them.

Dickey asked Chief Jonathan Murrell of the Rincon Police Department, “Are you getting full light bars?

“No. It was a cost savings,” Murrell responded.

Murrell said the Tahoes would feature a rooftop “bubble” instead of a light bar. The halogen bubbles cost $60 as opposed to $2,400 for a light bar that spans the width of the roof.

“We’re going to have to look at this,” Dickey said.

Dickey warned the council that the “little tiny” bubbles are a “perception issue,” saying that they will lead some people to believe that the police are attempting to reduce their visibility.

Murrell said the $60 lights meet legal requirements in the state.

“I don’t care,” Dickey interrupted.

“We’ve talked to (the Georgia State Patrol) and we’ve looked over the code section, and there are other agencies around that have the bubble and their hasn’t been an issue," the chief said.

Murrell told the council that the Tahoes would be equipped with other flashing lights that are customary on police vehicles, including in the grille, the bumper and around the license plate.

“Law enforcement is going to say that (the bubble) meets the requirements and GSP is apparently saying it is going to meet the requirements,” Dickey said. “I don’t know if it has been tested in court yet or not but that statute — the whole purpose behind that statute — was to make sure that a police vehicle was clearly marked so that it could be recognized.”

Councilman Reese Browher expressed support for full light bars.

“I don’t want to spend any more money than we possibly have to,” he said. “I mean you are talking $2,000 or $$2,500 in savings per car but, at the same time, we are sitting here and our city attorney is telling us that he has concerns about it. If it was your family or my family that was pulling out of Fourth Street or Fort Howard Road and (the police) are going to a call, I’m looking at it from a public safety issue and what we’ve been advised to do.”

The council agreed to buy the Tahoes from state contract dealer Brannen Motor Company. 

“I’m afraid if we don’t act on these very soon we will be in the same boat we were last year where we won’t be able to get vehicles again,” Murrell said before the light debate started.

A vehicle shortage due in part to COVID-19 precluded the Rincon Police Department from acquiring the number of vehicles it had funds for in 2020. It received three instead of four.

 “Chevrolet has a shortage of a computer chip of all things (which makes it) difficult to get the Tahoe out,” Murrell said.

In his report during Monday's regularly scheduled council meeting, Murrell said that the new light bars will cost about $1,700 each as part of a trade-in.