Lower Salford to replace police department car, firearms
Lower Salford Township Police Department was planning to ask to have money put in next year’s budget to replace two cars that each have around 100,000 miles on the odometer.
One of those cars, though, recently had to be taken out of service because of mechanical problems.
“Based on the symptoms, they believe it needs transmission work, but it would take a lot of money,” Chief Thomas Medwid said.
Instead of spending the money on repairs, it would be wiser to replace the vehicle this year, he told the Lower Salford Township Board of Supervisors at the board’s Sept. 4 morning work session.
By replacing the car this year instead of waiting until next year, the department might get a better price and would also ease the increased usage on the remaining flHHW IRU RWhHU FDUV hDvLnJ WR EH used instead of the out of service one, Medwid said.
“I’m certainly not opposed if we have the money available,” board Chairman Douglas Gifford said.
“We’ll spend it in January or we’ll spend it in December,” board member Christopher Canavan agreed.
The vehicle being replaced is a 2008 Crown Victoria, Medwid said.
There was a time when the department had 12 vehicles, but that was reduced in recent years to 11, he said.
“Due to the economy in general, we had to cut back,” Medwid said.
The department ranks the cars and has replacement schedules, but there have been some years during which it was not able to replace any of the vehicles, he said.
The department is also planning to replace its 40-caliber Glock fiUHDUPV.
The ones now being used were bought in 1999, Medwid said.
The Glocks hold their purchase value, which cuts the cost to the department when it trades in its old ones to get the new ones, he said.
“For 24 sidearms, the difference between the purchase and the value of the old ones is $2,500,” Medwid said.
GunV WhDW hDvH EHHn FRnfiVFDWHG will also be traded in, decreasing the bill even more, he said.
“It’s in the budget,” Medwid said. “We could still do it this year.”