Kimball donates patrol cars to Bridgeport, New Hope

KIMBALL, Tenn. -- After severe storms on March 2 caused extensive hail damage to the city's police cruisers, Kimball leaders decided to revamp the entire fleet.

Some of the cars that were totaled in the storm were auctioned off to make way for the new vehicles, but the town still had three cars left over.

Kimball Mayor David Jackson said two of the patrol cars are in "fairly good shape," but the third has major transmission problems.

At the June meeting of the Kimball Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Jackson recommended that the city donate one car to nearby New Hope, Tenn., and one car to Bridgeport, Ala.

The board voted unanimously to donate the patrol cars and auction the remaining cruiser.

"Both of those towns are in need of police cars," Jackson said. "Bridgeport did actually buy one of our other cars at [the previous] auction. They're having tough financial times down there with the tornado that struck last year, and they're still trying to get some things done there."

Bridgeport Mayor David "Bubba" Hughes said the two towns have a good relationship because when a tornado struck Kimball in November 2007, Bridgeport officials helped out, and Kimball did the same when Bridgeport was hit by a tornado in April 2011.

"I thought it was a really nice gesture," Hughes said. "I just want to thank David Jackson and the town council for doing it, because it wasn't something they had to do."

Alderman Mark Payne, who made the motion to donate the patrol cars, said he thought it was the right thing to do for the two financially strapped towns.

"Since Bridgeport did buy one of our cars, I think we should allow them to have their pick of the two available," he said.

Officials said they will auction the remaining patrol car on June 30 at 10 a.m. CDT at Kimball City Hall.