Despite hard times and cutbacks, the Whitmire Police Department will be soon taking the wheel of a new fully-equipped patrol car.

The department has been awarded a $37,269 Justice Assistance grant.

The grant money will be used for the purchase of a new police vehicle complete with an in-car video camera, radar, radio, light package and siren.

The grant will also provide the department with new laptop computers for the entire police department fleet, four bulletproof vests and new federally mandated traffic safety vests.

Also in the grant is one automatic external defibrillator to assist officers in dealing with medical problems.

Whitmire Police Chief Jeremiah Sinclair applied for the grant on March 31 and awards were announced Friday.

“This should help in offsetting the costs of some of our needs in these hard economic times, and with lost revenue from the Renfro plant’s closing,“ said Sinclair.

The grant is 100 percent funded, with no matching money from the municipality required.