The last of the Joplin Police Department's Crown Victoria police interceptors — the most wanted car in law enforcement for nearly two decades — could make a getaway Saturday if someone buys it at the city's annual surplus auction.
Police posted on social media Thursday that "the 'Crown Vic' was an iconic part of police fleet vehicles throughout the U.S. from 1992 through 2011, but many of these relics stayed in service for years to come."
Assistant police Chief Brian Lewis said that model was the choice for law enforcement work for several reasons.
"The Crown Vic had kind of a corner on the market due to the fact that it was a well-built vehicle, very durable, and it had room for officers, equipment and a passenger to sit in the front seat without being cramped," he said.
This particular car available at the auction was driven by Chief Kevin Lindsay and later interim Chief Don Richardson after it was purchased in 2002. It then went into service for the department's Sentinel volunteer program.
Lewis said that after Ford stopped producing the popular model, Joplin police tested a few other kinds of cars that were cramped and not as durable. In about 2015, the department selected Dodge Chargers until production of those police models stopped.
In searching for new cars suited for cruisers, the department started using Chevy Tahoes about two years ago. They have enough room in the cabin for an officer and their equipment, as well as a big enough back seat to hold large people, Lewis said.
"We've been fortunate for the last two to three years because we've been able to rebuild our fleet to have dependable vehicles that don't have high miles," Lewis said.
Lynden Lawson, assistant director of public works, said the Crown Victoria that is to go in the auction does run. He said the city's fleet maintenance supervisor reported it has a little damage to one of the back doors.
Other items
"Also of interest are some display cases from the Joplin History and Mineral Museum that will be very interesting to some antique people and maybe someone who has just opened up a shop," Lawson said. There are seven display cases, a wall unit, a desk and file cabinet drawer, and 41 hollow-core doors from the museum.
Other furnishings include a carved wood hutch, a metal kitchen cabinet, 34 matching blue chairs, padded metal chairs, and various other chairs and file cabinets.
The sale also offers a 2006 Polaris Ranger UTV, a Ford F150 pickup truck that needs motor work, and a passenger van.
There also will be an array of mowing and trimming equipment and equipment attachments including a John Deere brush hog, a 3-point mount brush cutter, a Kubota back hoe, a 3-point mount back hoe attachment, a Frontier finish mower, and a Bad Boy zero turn diesel 72-inch cut mower. A variety of tools and tool boxes are on the sale list.
Many electronic devices and computers will be available, including components and office machines such as shredders.
A staple of all city auctions is bicycles, and this year's sale will have 25 of various models including Huffy, Shimano, BMX, Mongoose, Razor Kobra, Roadmaster and Schwinn. Those interested in the bicycles should get to the auction on time. They are to be first up for sale.
Lawson said the amount of money raised from the annual surplus auctions "varies by year because of the merchandise that we may have in it. When you have some heavy equipment or tractors in an auction you may get more. Since we don't have the bigger items this year, it will be lower than in the past."
Funds raised go back the departments that owned the items or to the general fund for city operations.
"For example, there is a pickup truck that if sold, the proceeds will return to the transportation sales tax," Lawson said.
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