HOLMES BEACH – The Police Department has two new Polaris side-by-side ATVs thanks to a grant set aside for COVID enforcement activities by law enforcement agencies.
“We decided to get a couple of the Polaris ATVs so we could be on the beach more, and work on social distancing and be able to educate people,” Chief William Tokajer said. The grant totaled $43,500, which was enough to acquire two Polaris ATVs, one six-seater and one three-seater. The COVID grant also provided enough money to equip the ATVs with police lights, sirens, and spotlights on the roofs, which are excellent tools for search and rescue operations, he said.
“They’re a great rescue vehicle – we’ve already used them to reunite lost children with their families,” he said. “When we were on the four-wheelers, we were unable to do that because it doesn’t have a side seat.”
Tokajer also said the vehicles will make beach arrests more efficient, since officers won’t have to walk the suspect off the beach, disrupting beachgoers. Officers can simply secure the suspect in the Polaris and drive them away from the scene, just as they would in a normal patrol car, all the while leaving a much smaller footprint.
One of the biggest advantages of the Polaris ATVs, he added, is their maneuverability and ability to go places that may be a tight squeeze for a full-sized patrol vehicle. They can go on-road, off-road, or in the case of a bad traffic tie-up, a little bit of both.
Police also ask the public to remember that these are first-responder vehicles and need the same right of way as a police car, ambulance, or firetruck to help keep everyone safe.
