MARION – The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office has added “cruise mode lighting” on its patrol vehicles to help enhance its presence especially during evening hours or in low-light situations.

This lighting does not flash. It will make deputies more visible and increase the likelihood that the lights will stop crime before it happens. It will be used from midnight to 5 a.m. Patrol units may elect to extend this lighting to hours of reduced viability, the patrol of high crime areas, or other circumstances. Patrol units, regardless of the time of day, may opt to not illuminate “cruise mode lighting” when operationally necessary.

Most of the patrol vehicle fleet already had the necessary equipment to deploy this feature and simply required programming.

The implementation of “cruise mode lighting” is a growing trend across the nation and is being regularly utilized to deter crime. It has been shown to decrease the number of stolen vehicles, arrests, vehicle burglaries, and vehicle accidents among other reductions in criminal activity.

This implementation follows a test period during which the sheriff’s office evaluated the benefits and utilization of this new lighting.