DeKalb County, Ga., has announced that it has invested $8 million in the purchase of safety vehicles and emergency equipment with funding from the Special Purpose Local Sales Tax (SPLOST).

Among these purchases are 50 police patrol cars equipped with advanced safety features and technologies that will allow full integration with the county’s emergency dispatch center and officer body-worn cameras. The 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe PPVs will be used as officer take-home vehicles to increase community visibility and reduce crime. They feature push bumpers, which allow officers to remove disabled vehicles from roadways to expedite traffic flow. The vehicles are expected to be in service by the end of September.

The county will purchase an additional 50 patrol vehicles next year.

The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department purchased 10 rapid response vehicles fully equipped to respond to emergency medical calls and fire suppression. Rapid response vehicles are smaller and less expensive to operate than larger fire trucks. These vehicles will be in service by March 2019, with two added to each county fire station.