The first of two new police cruisers that the City Council bought Monday arrived at City Hall on Thursday afternoon.
Unlike the other police cars in the city fleet, these have bars on the rear passenger door windows, according to city police Capt. Steve Durkin."That was Captain Wojciechowsky's idea, by the way," Durkin said, referring to police Capt. Richard J. Wojciechowsky.
"It's all-wheel drive, too," Durkin said Thursday.
It's a 2013 Ford Interceptor, and another just like it will roll into the city Wednesday.
On March 11, the City Council voted to take a loan from Pottsville Area Development Corp.'s revolving loan fund to buy the vehicles.
The city acquired the cruisers through a "piggyback" program, Durkin said.
The program called "COSTARS" is Pennsylvania's cooperative purchasing program administered by the state Department of General Services Bureau of Procurement, according to its website at www.portal.state.pa.us.
Formed in 1985, PADCO is a nonprofit development corporation that oversees revitalization of the city's central business district. It manages a revolving-loan fund. With an emphasis on job creation, its low-interest loans help fund business expansion, equipment, start-up costs, physical renovations and other business needs, according to Amy S. Burkhart, PADCO executive director.
The city will not have to make any payments for a year, Thomas A. Palamar, city administrator, said Monday.
According to the contract the council approved Monday night, 36 months of payments at $1,996.57 a month will begin in March 2014, totaling $71,876.52.
The loan rate is 2.99 percent, Burkhart said Monday.
The Pottsville police, a force of 23 full-time officers, have five marked vehicles and three unmarked vehicles, according to Durkin.
The new vehicles will be marked vehicles. They will take the place of two 2008 Chevy Impalas that will eventually be put on the market, Durkin said.
"For police cars, they lasted a very long time. A police car's life is very hard. You drive them 24/7, and it's city driving," Durkin said.
The City of Pottsville has 44 miles of streets, Palamar said previously.
"They each have over 120,000 miles on them. It's time to retire them. We'll probably sell them but won't get very much for them," Durkin said.
KME-Kovatch Organization, a supplier of industrial, energy, military, police and fire-rescue vehicles, delivered the first of the two 2013 Ford Interceptors to City Hall on Thursday.
"It arrived on a trailer," Durkin said.
Durkin had the honor of being the first officer to take it for a drive.
Vehicles like these can be equipped with numerous features, according to Durkin and the vehicle's website at www.ford.com/fordpoliceinterceptor.
"They had lighting packages that would make this thing look like a UFO," Durkin said.
However, the city police chose options best suited for Pottsville.
"What we needed were basic, good, sturdy police cars. These new vehicles will contain a few extras and some safety features. They're very safe, and they'll be able to withstand some pretty serious crashes without injuring the occupants," Durkin said.
Since 2008, the back seats of city police cruisers have been made of hard plastic.
Improving on that concept, the floors in the rear compartments of the new 2013 Interceptors will be made of hard plastic, too, Durkin said.
"It's all a self-contained thing back there." Durkin said.
There's also an additional rifle rack in the front compartment.
"Before, we only had a rack for one weapon up front. We have patrol rifles and shotguns. Now we're able to have both in the front. This has dual weapon racks," Durkin said.
While Roberts Signs, Pottsville, will be putting decals on the vehicles in the next week, Durkin said the vehicles will be put into service immediately.