THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 Page 3 New “green machines” for police New economical and environmentally friendly patrol cruisers hit the streets of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler I t’s the latest example of the Town of Saugus’s commitment to “going green”: a police cruiser that saves an estimated 1,276 gallons of fuel a year while having a lesser impact on the environment. Police Officer Domenic Montano was happy to show off the new 2021 Ford Police Interceptor vehicle to a reporter on Monday (May 31) morning as visitors entered Riverside Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day ceremonies at the veterans’ graves. Later in the week, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s office issued a press release to highlight the value of the four new cruisers that were recently activated. “The Board of Selectmen and I are thrilled to announce the arrival of these new hybrid, environmentally-friendly vehicles to our community and its patrol fleet,” Crabtree said in his announcement. “This important and necessary investment will continue to prioritize the safety of the residents of Saugus and the Town’s first responders.” The fully furnished vehicles, which will save an estimated 1,276 gallons of fuel per year through hybrid powertrain, can now be seen throughout the community, according to Crabtree. “Through fuel savings, the cruisers will result in an estimated annual savings of $3,509 per vehicle, per year, compared to the 2018 cruisHISTORIC HIRING | FROM PAGE 2 School Committee by contacting the references of the four finalists, said a five-year contract would protect McMahon from local school politics in which all School Committee members run for reelection every year. Hatch said he wouldn’t want to see a situation where the new superintendent is “beholden to a particular School Committee.” Having the five-year contract will protect McMahon from the politics which have hampered previous school superintendents. “I think it’s going to be a great situation for the town,” Hatch said last week. Grabowski has set the bar A COLLECTIVE $14,000 SAVINGS IN FUEL: Town officials estimate a substantial annual savings in fuel costs for these four new 2021 Ford police cruisers that were recently activated as the latest additions to the Saugus Police Department’s patrol fleet. ers,” the town manager stated in his press release. “These eco-friendly vehicles will also reduce carbon dioxide output by an estimated 25,560 lbs. annually per vehicle.” The new patrol vehicles were supported and approved by the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee and Town Meeting as part of an ongoing effort to make continued public safety and capital improvements throughout the community, Crabtree noted. The town manager stressed that town officials made “this important community investment” during last December’s Special Town Meeting, when members voted in favor of the new cruisers as part of the Town’s priorities and overall identified capital infrastructure needs. high for the new superintendent. He said she needs to “take the district on her shoulders and say, ‘follow me.’” “Sometimes, uncomfortable choices have to be made … and Erin will have to be the leader,” Grabowski told his colleagues. “I would hope she stands up for what is right and not what is politically expedient for our district,” he said. Grabowski said he hopes the new superintendent will advocate aggressively for more funding if that’s what is needed to improve the school district – and not be influenced to accept whatever budget the town administration recommends to run the School Department. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) Crabtree said the investment in new police cruisers will allow the Police Department to replace current line cars with high mileage or that require frequent maintenance. Each of the new cruisers is fully marked and equipped with the latest technology, computers, radio communication and secure vaults for equipment storage. “I would like to thank everyone and the residents of Saugus for their ongoing support of important public safety equipment investments like this,” Crabtree said. “It is essential that public safety vehicles that are used on a daily, high-demand, high-performance basis be fully functional and safe. We are proud to provide that for our public safety responders and community.”
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