New Cop Cars Ready for Long Valley Roads
Two vehicles purchased in 2012 different color, model than rest of fleet.
Photos
At the start of 2012, the Washington Township Police Department requested four new vehicles to add and supplement to its current fleet.
Due to budgetary constraints, the township committee approved the purchase of two vehicles. Those vehicles are different however than their comrades within the fleet.
Because the Ford Crown Victoria–a staple in the police vehicle industry–went out of distribution, the police department needed to buy two Cheverolet Caprice vehicles.
One of the vehicles is currently on Washington Township roadways and the other is nearly complete, being outfitted and prepared at the Department of Public Works.
The vehicles were originally expected to be ready in July 2012, but due to high demand, were not delivered to the police department until October, Lt. Mark Niemynski said.
Each vehicle cost $25,494 with an emergency equipment package adding approximately $7,500. The new vehicles are painted black with silver lettering, unlike the navy blue Crown Victorias that make up the remainder of the fleet.
Have you seen the new patrol cars? What do you think of them?
Not Again!
9:14 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Okay peeps - get ready to familiarize the shape of Chevrolet Caprice Headlights in your rearview mirror as they follow you dangerously close at night. In the past two weeks I have heard so many firsthand stories of this happening, and worse that it is truly disturbing. We are living in a Police State. And it is not just the WTPD - it is all around us. Once again we live in a area of low crime - so we become the suspects
Jerry Gordon
11:41 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
You are right.
PD73
9:14 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
They need to say LONG VALLEY on them. Nobody refers to our town as WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. Six other Washington Townships in NJ.
FourScore
10:16 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Regardless of how everyone refers to our town, the official name of the municipality IS Washington Township. This is why we have a Washington Twp police dept, municipal bldg, school system, library, etc. Long Valley is an unincorporated community, meaning it has no official status.
PD73
10:22 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Way overdue to OFFICIALLY change the name of our town to LONG VALLEY!
FourScore
12:13 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
That was actually proposed back in the 80’s and the proposition was defeated. The township is actually split up into two general geographic areas; Schooley’s Mountain and Long Valley, and there is sort of a faux rivalry between the mountain and the valley. The mountain people would never go for naming the township after the valley.
rusty corvair
9:14 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Nice cars! And a really good price.
Jason Koestenblatt
9:23 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
PD73, I understand where you're coming from, and that's actually one of the main reasons we named this news site Long Valley Patch rather than Washington Township Patch (too much confusion). That being said, since the police department serves all of Washington Township, which includes residents living in postal service areas including Califon, Schooley's Mountain, Port Murray and Hackettstown, it makes sense to have the cars tagged with 'Washington Township.'
Thanks again for the comment!
PD73
11:40 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Maybe the post office needs to consolidate.
PD73
12:16 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
Hookerman, and the valley people deny being associated with the mountain. Maybe time to stop the insanity. It is all one beautiful place to live.
FourScore
1:22 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
You're telling me! When they did the school redistricting a few years back, and kids who live in the valley were being sent to the new Cucinella school, there were quite a few valley parents who were really PO'd that they had to send their kid to a mountain school.
12345678
4:28 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
It actually goes both ways. I remember when they were sending mountain kids to OFRS and many of those parents went nuts.
Angelo
10:39 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
Eight different zip codes serve Washington Twp; we have residents with Hackettstwon, Califon, Port Murray, Long Valley, Schooley's Mountain, etc. adresses. A real mess if you ask me.
One of the reasons the township didn't want to give up it's name because of the other Washington Townships is because we were the first Washington Township in the state.
Abraham Clark
12:17 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
So because it hasn't made sense all along, why not continue doing the same thing so that it is eternally confusing! Makes no sense at all. Why not paint the cars black and white like a real police car? Include light reflective lettering so that someone can find the police in an emergency. Whats next winter camo cars and digital camo for hiding in bushes? Time to have the state police patrol just like in Blairstown. Post hiding spots on speedtrap.com
Brian
7:01 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Better yet, split up the 2 geographic regions by having 2 municipal governments and shared police and EMS services.
Tax dollars forms the Valley stay in the valley, and tax dollars from the mountain stay on the mountain.
The borough of Long Valley and the borough of Schooley's mountain. Fairview divides the 2.
Now how many people are gunna jump at this comment!?
jesscott
2:55 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I'll jump on it. It's stupid. Now that's done with.
Brian
7:04 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Oh, and I agree with everyone. Waste of money. They patrolled all 44 square miles with their crown vic's just fine.
Liberty
10:36 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
OMG! Sometimes reading the Patch comments is like listening in on a Kindergarten class! Everyone take a time-out in their respective corners of Washington Township!
jesscott
2:57 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The armed tax collectors...er....excuse me.....police department needs new vehicles. They rack up hundreds of thousands of miles in short periods of time. I have no issue with new cars, small price to pay to keep the revenue generation...er...um....township current.