An “after action report” following early January’s winter storm revealed the Dalton Police Department’s four-wheel drive vehicle fleet needed to be examined for damages, Chief Jason Parker told the Public Safety Commission on Tuesday.

Moments later he got permission to buy two new sport utility vehicles using seized drug money. This requires no action by the City Council.

Parker said the purchases are sport utility vehicles and asked the commission allow him to buy them from Brooker Ford, even though Chatsworth Ford put in a lower bid at $25,484.

The total cost — $51,100, or $25,550 each.

Parker noted the ease of servicing the vehicles through a local dealership as his rationale.

“Before the Blizzard of ’93 we had no four-wheel drive vehicles,” he said by way of context. South Lake Chevrolet in Cumming bid each vehicle at $28,650 each.

Policemen and Dalton Fire Department members who are on the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Committee presented a check to David Elrod of the Dalton State College Foundation at the meeting, raising the endowment for the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship above its goal of $40,000.

Scholarship committee members on hand were Dan Hudson and Melissa Russell of the fire department and John Helton and Ricky Long of the police force.

“Reaching that milestone means that the endowment can now fund two scholarships to Dalton State College for children of Dalton police officers or firefighters,” spokesman Bruce Frazier said after the meeting.

Fundraising for the scholarship has taken place since 2008, he said, when the departments joined with the Dalton Depot restaurant owner T.J. Kaikobad to host the first of three benefit dinners.

Kaikobad was one of the driving forces behind starting the scholarship endowment. Parker and Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield recognized his efforts and contributions with a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting.

“His restaurant probably lost money while he was raising funds for us,” Satterfield said.