NATCHEZ — The Adams County Board of Supervisors approved Monday the transfer of funds that will purchase six new law enforcement vehicles in Adams County.

Four of the vehicles were already programmed into the Adams County Sheriff’s Office budget for the year, while a fifth was added at the request of ACSO Col. Debbie Gee.

All of the funds came from the ACSO’s budget.

The sixth vehicle is for Natchez-Adams County Metro Narcotics. Gee said Metro needed to replace a vehicle an agent recently wrecked, and the money for the immediate purchase would come from seized and forfeited drug funds.

The Metro vehicle would ultimately receive some insurance funds for the wreck, Gee said.

Before approving the intra-budget transfers, members of the board of supervisors questioned Gee about the purchases.

The five ACSO vehicles being replaced have a total of 700,000 road miles on them, and the cost of repair is exceeding their value, Gee said.

When Supervisor Mike Lazarus asked why ACSO detectives needed the same model vehicles as patrol deputies — Chevrolet Tahoes — Gee said some of the county’s country roads are impassable without the big trucks.

“In all fairness, we have been operating this county for years, and we have never needed four-wheel drives before,” Lazarus said.

Gee said detectives have had to take vehicles off-road before.

“If there is a suicide in the middle of a field, a (Dodge Charger) can’t get back to it,” she said. “We have had people take personal vehicles, their four-wheel drives, to get a body out of the field.”

Gee said the ACSO does what it can to be wise and frugal with the county’s money.

“We do what we can for maintenance and care and make (the vehicles) last as long as they can,” she said. “Once they get 200,000 miles on them, they need replacement and you are putting more money into them than they are worth.”

The Chevrolet Tahoes cost $32,046 apiece. The vehicle Metro Narcotics will purchase will cost $28,924.