DPD donates car to Hayden PD

The Daleville Police Department donated a surplus 2010 Dodge Charger to the Hayden Police Department on March 9.

Hayden Police Chief James Chapman said he first saw the car when it was put on GovDeals and contacted the department about buying the car.

“I got to looking and saw that they had three cars surplused on GovDeals and so I called (DPD’s Lt.) Noah (Suiter) to ask him about the condition of the vehicle before we bid on it and which one would be the better one and all that kind of stuff,” Chapman said. “He kind of asked me some questions about the department and said, ‘Hang on a minute’ then went and talked to the chief and said ‘I think we’re just going to give it to you. If you want to come get, we’ll just give it to you.”

The Daleville City Council approved the donation at its March 3 meeting.

The DPD also donated various other equipment items such as extra lights for police vehicles to the HPD as well as transferred a Humvee to the department through the 1033 Program.

Chapman said that all the equipment is a great need for a relatively new department in a growing town.

“The 2010 census was 440 (population), I think, and the last preliminary census they did was 2017 and we were like at 1,438 (population),” Chapman said. “The only interstate in Blount County, we’ve got a 10-mile stretch of it—we’ve got three exits on the interstate. We’ve just got through sending a guy to drug interdiction class so we’re slowly but surely growing and trying to catch up.”

Chapman thanked the department and the city for its kind donations.

“It’s going to be a big help for us,” Chapman said.

Daleville Police Chief Allen Medley said the donations show the bonds of brotherhood between those in law enforcement.

“We’re a huge family all over the United States so being able to donate lets me know that it’s helping his department grow and get bigger,” Medley said. “If I needed something from him, I guarantee you I could call him and he’d help me out. It shows we (law enforcement officers) are a brotherhood—the thin blue line.”