GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Police Department will get two new vehicles following unanimous Village Board approval on Tuesday. Also approved was the sale of a service weapon as a “parting gift” to a retiring officer who carried it throughout his career.
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As previously reported on Riverbender.com, the purchase of two 2025 Ford Explorer Interceptors for a total of $96,426 was on the agenda for this week’s Village Board meeting. Also on the agenda was a separate resolution concerning “upfitting” costs of $35,178 to equip both vehicles with various police equipment.
Police Chief Todd Link said these new vehicles will replace former Units 29 and 36, which were deemed surplus property and auctioned off by the department. The proceeds from that sale went into the village’s General Fund, and Link said both new vehicles have been budgeted for.
As for the upfitting costs, Link said the total would include “all wiring, all lights, all radios, a computer stand, plus the wrapping of each vehicle,” as well as the installation of Axon camera systems.
While the department will soon be expanding its fleet, they will also offer a “parting gift” to one of their retiring officers: the Remington Model 870 shotgun he carried throughout his service with the GCPD.
“The Glen Carbon Police Department no longer carries shotguns as part of our patrol equipment, we now carry patrol rifles. Lieutenant [Wayne] White was the only person to carry a shotgun for the last few years,” Link said. “This actual shotgun is the shotgun he carried on duty, and has requested that it be his parting gift for his retirement after 28 years of honorable service to our police department.”
Typically, Link said the Police Association would purchase the weapon and then give it to White; to “streamline” the process, Link said the association would provide White the $200 to purchase the weapon himself, with $200 being the weapon’s estimated value.
Village Board members voted unanimously to approve both the purchase of two new police vehicles and the sale of White’s service weapon.
