A recent arrest for the possession and manufacture of marijuana by Officer Brad Hobbs resulted in the seizure of a 1999 Pontiac Firebird. The vehicle wasn’t in the best of shape, but it showed promise, and SRO Mike McCaslin set about to turn the vehicle into something that the department could be proud of.
The first item to be looked at was the paint and body damage on the vehicle. Officer McCaslin met with the owner of Greenwood Collision, Chris Brewer, and after a brief discussion, Chris offered to donate both labor and materials to the project. With the bodywork taken care of, Officer McCaslin then went to work on tires and graphics for the vehicle.
M-Ann-M Wrecker joined into the effort and provided tires to replace the worn out set already on the vehicle, and Matt Lamora at S.M.I.L.E.S. provided the graphic work for the vehicle.
“Part of being a police officer is being able to communicate with the community”, said Lt James Flynn. “The vehicle gives the officer a conversation starter, common ground to open up lines of communication. This is especially helpful when dealing kids who may feel intimidated by law enforcement”.
“I can’t begin to thank all of those who have helped put this together”, remarked Flynn, “Greenwood Collision, M-Ann-M, and SMILES have all contributed to this project, and their efforts are what allowed us to put this vehicle into service”.
The vehicle will be unveiled for the first time at Greenwood Collision this Friday the 22nd at 300pm. Community members are invited to come out and take a closer look at the newest addition to the Greenwood Police Department. Greenwood Collision is located on Hwy 10 Spur just off of Hwy 71 S.