When 50-mph winds ripped through Carroll County this weekend, Sykesville police took their new all-terrain vehicle off-roading where cruisers couldn?t go.
“Officer Dave Lewis patrolled to assess the damage, came across several downed trees and notified the city?s public works,” said Chief John Williams. “He even chained a downed tree to the ATV and pulled it out of the way” to clear a path for the responding crew.
The department wanted to add an ATV ? complete withflashing lights, siren and first-aid kit ? to help patrol the new Warfield business complex and the 30-acre park near Route 32, he said.
The Carroll County Sheriff?s Office used a $15,000 federal grant to buy two ATVs this year, too, Sgt. David Valentine said.
Their compact nature and four-wheel drive are perfect for search-and-rescue operations and missing-person canvasses, he said.
Deputies used the new equipment Oct. 12 to find a missing woman in northern Carroll County.
“In a rural setting, when we have a missing persons report, it?s usually in a very wooded area, and the four-wheel drive allows us to take it further off the beaten path and follow the creek beds,” said Valentine.
In the last five years, more police agencies nationwide are following the military in using ATVs, said Jun Villegas, spokesman for the ATV Safety Institute, a nonprofit that does safety training.
C&L Cycle in Eldersburg donated the $5,000 ATV to Sykesville police last month.
