Lowell Police Department Adds New Utility Vehicle for Patrol at Civic Events and Parks

LOWELL — Acting Lowell Police Superintendent Barry Golner is pleased to share that the Lowell Police Department has added a new Kubota utility vehicle that will enable more high visibility patrols at civic events, parks, and in parts of the city that can be difficult to access.

The new vehicle is diesel powered, and includes a closed cabin area with a heater and air conditioning that will make the vehicle usable year-round and in inclement weather, unlike the department’s existing utility vehicles.

The vehicle was purchased using funds from the Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), which uses funds received from motor vehicle enforcement to increase the visibility of traffic safety patrols and to reduce crashes and dangerous driving by reminding drivers that police are on patrol. 

As a result, the vehicle will be used by the Traffic Enforcement Division for traffic patrols in addition to its other uses. 

Another primary purpose of the vehicle will be to provide police with a marked unit that has flashing lights for responding to emergencies at civic events like the Lowell Folk Festival that traditional police cruisers cannot easily or quickly access.

In previous years, police used rented golf carts during such events, but without police markings or lights, the golf carts did not provide an easy way to navigate through dense crowds at such events.

The vehicle was prepared by the Lowell Police Fleet Maintenance Division, which includes Fleet Manager Kyriakoulis Tsouprakos, Andrew Mendes and Eric Alba. Fleet Maintenance also repurposed old lights and radio equipment from old police cruisers to equip the utility vehicle, which prevented the department from having to buy that equipment new — a substantial cost savings. 

The vehicle will also be available for use by officers on downtown patrols, Housing officers, and the Neighborhood Action Unit.

“It’s really nice to have a marked vehicle for festivals that has lights and the ability to maneuver through the city during the Folk Festival to get to and assist people if need be,” said Acting Superintendent Golner. “With the increase in outdoor sporting events during the summer months, we’ll be able to have it out in the parks, and it will also increase the visibility of patrols in areas like public housing and the downtown.”