LONGVIEW, Texas — On Wednesday, more than three dozen police vehicles were sprayed with a sanitizer to protect Longview police officers from COVID-19.
"It's a huge thing for us," Sgt. Darin Lair, with the Longview Police Department's (LPD) Office of Professional Standards, said. "The safety of our employees and our citizens is always first and foremost in our minds."
Police vehicles are a necessity within any police department. They are used around the clock and by multiple people.
"Every patrol shift comes in, and they drive these cars, and come in and park them," Sgt. Lair said. "A new officer gets in and anything from transporting people, unfortunately to jail or a lot of times we have citizens who need a ride or head to a shelter, whatever those needs are that would be in these cars."
The fleet was sprayed by Wade Turner and his business partner, Tracy Davis.
Turner says it was a two-part process.
"The first part we spray kills everything active in the vehicle," Turner said. "Step two actually comes in and seals it."
Turner is also a former Longview police officer. He served on the LPD from 1994-2002.
"I was in law enforcement a long time ago," Turner said. "I know what the guys deal with every day."
Turner and Davis donated their time and services to spraying the fleet.
"This is just to show my appreciation for what they do every day," Turner said. "With what they put themselves in front of every day to protect us, the taxpayers — the citizens."