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Council OKs surplus of older police vehicles and sale of evidentiary firearms; proceeds to fund community policing
Summary
Council approved surplusing two older police vehicles and selling evidentiary firearms that cannot be returned; the police chief proposed placing proceeds into the community-policing program and asked that unspent funds carry forward for program use.
The Harrisville City Council voted to surplus two older police vehicles and authorize sale of certain evidentiary firearms, with proceeds directed to the city’s community-policing program.
Police staff explained the need to remove two cars from inventory: one vehicle suffered mechanical problems and another was delayed from last year’s auction because it was involved in an accident and tow. Chief Wilson also noted evidence-held firearms that state law allows the city to sell if they cannot be returned to owners, and he proposed that those proceeds be used expressly for community-policing activities.
"What my plan was is asking is that we take the proceeds to these firearms that we sell and put it into the community policing program," Chief Wilson said. Council members discussed accounting and carryover procedures so any unspent proceeds could be tracked from year to year and used only for community-policing purposes. Estimates for proceeds were described as modest ("not more than a couple thousand"), and the council approved the surplus and the proceeds-use plan in a roll-call vote.
Staff will coordinate auction logistics for the vehicles and prepare accounting language to ensure proceeds are restricted to community-policing programming and carry over as needed.
