With the help of drug deals and the U.S. Forestry Service, the Sheriff’s Office has added two trucks to its fleet.

“(The Sheriff’s Office) is dealing with difficult budget times the way it approaches any problem, an opportunity to be innovative,“ says Sheriff Lee Foster.

Foster says his agency was able to put officers behind the two new steering wheels with no cost to the local taxpayer.

One of the vehicles, a 2006 Ford F150, was seized from a group of drug dealers.

Foster said he could not comment of the specifics of the federal case because it is a still under investigation and prosecution. But, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office was instrumental in the investigation.

The seized truck has standard Sheriff’s Office markings but also includes this public service announcement, “This truck was seized from a drug dealer“ on both sides and the tailgate.

The Ford truck was seized under a program that allows local governments to use seized assets for local law enforcement.

“We wanted to send a message to those who sell illegal drugs that we are not only coming after you, but the ill-gotten gains of the drug sales,“ said Foster. “Why shouldn’t we take items that were purchased through illicit funds and use them as a savings to the taxpayer?“

The seized truck has been assigned to a courthouse security officer.

“We placed the vehicle at the courthouse for two specific reasons,“ said Foster. “First, we wanted defendants attending criminal court to see the vehicle and know that we are serious about the fight against illegal drugs. Secondly, we want citizens and taxpayers attending business at the courthouse to know that we are making every effort to continue to provide the level of service they have become accustomed to while honoring our commitment to be good stewards of tax dollars.“

The Sheriff’s Office purchased a 2003 Dodge 2500 pickup from grant funds from the U.S. Forestry Service.

The used truck was purchased as surplus property from the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Foster said that most people would recognize the truck as a SCDOT Incident Response or roadside assistance vehicle.

The Dodge will be used as a utility vehicle and to pull the mobile command center previously purchased using only Department of Homeland Security grant funds.

“For many years we have used grants and innovative ideas to provide technology, vehicles and services to the people of Newberry County that parallel larger counties without the expense of these items,” Foster said. “We recognize that these are difficult times, and we will continue to work diligently to find and secure alternate funding sources to enable us to protect and serve our citizens.“