GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Truck loads of new Dodge Chargers were unloaded at Garber Automall earlier this week. In a matter of days, they were being transformed into the fleet of squad cars for the newly-created Clay County Schools Police Department.

Every deputy will get a new car before they take their post at each of the county’s public schools. Those cars will feature the familiar flashing lights, computer console, police decals and, of course, a caged rear seat area.

With an estimated cost of $1 million, the police department fully expected some questions.

“We know people want to know why a school police officer needs a car,” said school police chief Kenneth Wagner. “That’s a fair question.”

And Wagner was quick to provide some answers.

“The cars will be used for a lot of things,” he said. “First, they are deterrents. It’s like having a billboard outside. VyStar [Credit Unions] have a car out front and none of them have been robbed. It’s not foolproof, but it’s a cheap deterrent.”

The cars also will be used to transport defendants to the Clay County Jail, as well as driving students home after they’ve missed the bus or have an emergency, Wagner said.

“Geographically, Clay County has 644-square miles,” he said. “Should you have a child in custody, we can’t take them to the [Clay County] jail. Clay doesn’t have a juvenile detention center. We have to take them to Eighth Street in Jacksonville [Duval Regional Juvenile Detention]. That’s very taxing.

Wagner ordered 45 cars. Garber fleet sales manager Ryan Davis said the Chargers were the cheapest options available and none of the cars had any expensive add-ons.

“These were basic cars,” Davis said.

When they left the dealership, they were far from basic. Davis said his team can convert three new cars into police cruisers in a day. As soon as the lights flash and the siren blares, the car is delivered to the school board.

While new cars had sticker prices of nearly $34,000, but Wagner said he paid a little more than $28,000 for each vehicle.

“I equipped them as basic as I could,” Wagner said.

Teachers and police officers – along with their new cars – are scheduled to report for the new school year on Aug. 6. The first day for students is Aug. 13.