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Connellsville force gets addition

By Patty Yauger 2 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – City police officers are getting out of the department’s Chevrolet Luminas they have been patrolling in and onto a BMW motorcycle that recently was placed into service by the department. Police Chief Stephen Cooper said that Mayor Judy Reed proposed two years ago that the department look into purchasing the motorcycle as a way to reduce expenses.

“It’s been a great addition,” he said. “It can be easily maneuvered through traffic when an officer needs to get to the scene of an accident and it can go places our vehicles have difficulty in accessing.”

Cooper said that instead of getting out of a vehicle and walking through city parks, patrolmen can now ease around gates and quickly navigate through the areas.

“It allows us to increase the number of times we can patrol the parks,” he said.

Two members of the department are licensed to operate the vehicle with seven others holding permits. Most officers, said Cooper, will be certified and licensed to drive the vehicle in the next several weeks.

“Usually we have someone on every shift assigned to ride it,” said Cooper.

The purchase, he added, couldn’t have come at a better time with rising gasoline prices.

“I’m sure our maintenance and operational costs are going to decrease,” he said.

The 2000 BMW motorcycle fully equipped with the police package was purchased by the city from BMW Motor Cycles of Pittsburgh at a cost of $8,255.

Bill Crandle, owner of DeZigns of Connellsville, added local police department graphics.

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