NewsWest 9
PECOS COUNTY - Deputies with the Pecos County Sheriff's Office are getting some much needed equipment but how they're paying for it might surprise you.
Just like other areas around the Basin, Fort Stockton is growing.
With Interstate 10 just north of town, the PCSO is busier than ever.
"We get more information all the time on different ones, to be able to stop different vehicles that are hauling drugs or hauling money and stuff back and forth to Mexico," Sheriff, Cliff Harris, said.
Whether it's a possible drug bust or a regular traffic stop, Sheriff Harris said his 23 deputies need new bulletproof vests to stay safe.
"The vests deteriorate over the years. The officers wear them so much, they get so hot and sweaty," he said. "If somebody got shot, there's a liability the bullet may penetrate the vest or go through it or something."
This week, a company came and measured deputies for vests but that's not the only thing they need.
The sheriff said their tasers are breaking down too.
"The tasers and stuff, they've turned out to be one of the best little tools we have to keep from having to hurt anybody," Sheriff Harris said.
These items don't come cheap. The base price of one taser can start off at around $900 but luckily for the sheriff's office, they're already paid for.
"This is no cost to the citizens," Sheriff Harris said. "This is all bought with the drug seizure money that we've accumulated over the last few years."
This means the money they saved can now go toward other needs within the office.
