The Chase County Sheriff’s Office will be getting a new patrol truck and emergency equipment, thanks to a grant from Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
Sheriff Jacob Welsh says his department is receiving a $50,000 grant for the purchase. Welsh says this comes at a good time because the department’s fleet is “aging and ridden with mechanical issues.”
This comes as a result of an ongoing effort between the county and railroad to “improve the interagency working environment” after concerns and sharp criticisms from the county over the past seven years, including former sheriff Richard Dorneker, about the railroad taking rural crossings offline for extended periods of time and potentially affecting emergency services in certain areas of the county. Chase County had sued the railroad in 2016, saying a train had parked on a siding well above the 10 minutes allowed by state law before trains have to be moved or uncoupled. In siding with the railroad in 2018, the Kansas Court of Appeals said federal law allowed for longer park times, thus overruling the state law on the topic.
Welsh credited Burlington Northern Police Deputy Chief Archie Allen for starting the grant process and also working to discuss issues, trends and other safety matters in the county. The railroad, for its part, has said it is “committed to building and maintaining long-lasting relationships” with Chase County.
