The Villa Rica Police Department will add a new patrol car to its fleet, thanks to a grant by Norfolk Southern Railway.
City officials were notified Monday that the railroad had approved a $45,000 grant for the city’s Public Safety Enhancement Program. The funds will come from the railroad’s Safety First Grant program.
The city had applied for a $133,600 grant to purchase three new police cars, but Chris Montesinos, Director of Special Projects, said even receiving one vehicle under Norfolk’s program is significant.
“This is a very competitive program and would have been very rare for Norfolk to approve such a large amount,” he said. “The important thing is that the police department gets a valuable piece of equipment without using funds from their budget.”
The vehicle, which will be purchased from Wade Ford of Smyrna, is a specially equipped pursuit utility vehicle. However, it will require other emergency equipment, such as a light bar and police radio, before it is ready for service.
Like all police departments, Villa Rica’s officers require newer vehicles because they tend to be more reliable and have better performance – characteristics that enhance the Police Department’s abilities to respond to critical situations.
Although other city funds will be required to fully equip the new police car, the department will save the purchase price and use that money to further equip and train its personnel.
It is not known when the new vehicle will be delivered to the city and fully equipped.
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network.
