HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Hanceville Police Chief Bob Long on Thursday night updated the mayor and city council about an incident that occurred early Thursday morning that resulted in the arrests of five individuals for allegedly breaking into vehicles at Wallace State Community College. The case is being investigated by the Wallace State Police, but the Hanceville Police Department and Cullman County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the chase to stop and apprehend the suspects.
“In the early morning hours at Wallace State, five Birmingham residents, including two juveniles, broke into eight or nine Wallace State students’ vehicles and stole numerous items and cash,” said Long. “Wallace State got a call and dispatch got the call. The Wallace officers spotted them and attempted a traffic stop and they ran. Our guys got involved in the chase that went around town a little bit and went up north towards Johnson’s Crossing and out towards Golf Course Road. At one point, the County spiked them and caught at least one of the tires. We got them stopped and pinned them at the overpass at Dodge City.”
All five suspects were taken into custody without injury.
The HPD is also in the process of selling its existing fleet of police vehicles and replacing them with new Dodge trucks. Long asked the council for permission to put the older vehicles up for bid as needed as the new vehicles arrive. The council agreed to pay off the approximately $37,500 owed on the existing vehicles in order to have the titles on-hand as the vehicles are sold. As the vehicles are sold, the money from the sales will be put back into the Town’s General Fund.
Said Long, “In the budget, we had $53,200 to go toward purchasing new vehicles.”
After surplusage of the older fleet and several military surplus vehicles, Long said he anticipates saving the General Fund $35,000. In total, one Ford Taurus has already been surplussed. Two additional Tauruses will be surplussed, as well as six 2017 Ford Explorers and one 2018 Ford Explorer.
In other business, the council appointed Jerry Haynes to a three-year term on the Zoning Board of Adjustments beginning March 1, 2021 and ending in March 2024.
The next Hanceville City Council meeting will be Feb. 25, 2021 with a work session at 5 p.m. and regular meeting at 5:30.
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