According to a recent Columbia Daily Tribune news release, the Columbia, Missouri Police Department’s Downtown Unit has added two new John Deere Gator 825i crossover utility vehicles to their force in an effort to increase law enforcement versatility.
The two Gators, which were purchased in the fall before being received in the past week, have been put immediately into use following the completion of a variety of modifications including lights, sirens, and radios to make them ready for law enforcement use.
The purchases were made to increase the Downtown Unit’s accessibility to the public and help officers reduce the amount of energy spent by walking or riding bicycles especially during the warm summer months. Sgt. Candy Cornman, head of the Downtown Unit, said in the article, "This will help break up the shifts so we're not strictly limited to foot or bicycle, give the officers a break during their long shifts and, again, maintain that same interaction."
Following the modification process to make the vehicles law enforcement-ready, each unit cost about $14,000 each. The police department’s budget covered the cost of one vehicle, while a donation from Columbia’s Downtown Community Improvement District covered the cost of the second.
The versatility of the John Deere Gators recently purchased by the Columbia Police Department’s Downtown Unit will allow the officers to have a reliable form of transportation apart from foot or bicycle while maintaining steady interaction with pedestrian traffic.