Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights Police Department will be purchasing a pair of new police motorcycles, thanks to funding from a state grant.
The purchases were approved by the Citrus Heights City Council on April 22, with a staff report saying the entire cost of the motorcycles and related equipment will be funded by a Citizen’s Option for Public Safety (COPS) grant. Under terms of the grant, the money must be spent or encumbered by June 30, or the funds must be returned.
According to the staff report, the department’s current BMW motorcycle fleet was purchased in 2013, with only one bike being replaced since then.
“Due to the unique demands emergency driving requires from a motorcycle and increasing costs of repairs and maintenance of aging vehicles, the department would like to start replacing these motorcycles before they become a serious safety risk,” the report says. The cost to purchase and fully equip a police motorcycle is around $35,000.
During the same meeting, the City Council also authorized the transfer of $140,000 from the Police Department’s current year budget into a replacement fund account for future purchases standard patrol vehicles. The department said a fully equipped and marked patrol vehicle costs an estimated $65-75,000.
COPS grant funding is allocated to cities each year based on their population, with funds going to frontline law enforcement.
