BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office upgraded its fleet with a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado. Sheriff John Kirk unveiled the new vehicle Friday, saying it replaces his previous cruiser, which had accumulated high mileage and experienced transmission issues.

“We’re going to have some excess fees this year,” Kirk said. “We didn’t have enough fee money to buy the vehicle, but we had some asset forfeiture money, which is drug money that we had accumulated over a period of time.”

The sheriff said the new addition would help lower maintenance costs for the department’s aging fleet.

“Most of our cruisers are older models—2017 and even as far back as 2012,” said Kirk. “Some of them look good, but they have high mileage and require a lot of maintenance. So this is something we’ve needed to purchase for a while, and we’re fortunate to be able to do it.”

The Silverado features a 4-cylinder turbo-max engine, a choice the sheriff feels is practical for the department.

“It should be a little cheaper on gas,” Kirk explained. “It has plenty of power. It doesn’t have the payload capacity, but we don’t haul heavy equipment anyway.”

The vehicle’s 4-wheel drive was an essential factor in the decision to purchase it.

“It’s a good fit for us,” said the sheriff. “There are times when we need to navigate tough roads and driveways. Some of the other cruisers that we have are not suited for that type of terrain.”

The sheriff will equip the new vehicle with lights, sirens, and livery before using it for patrol.