POLAND — Village council members discussed purchasing new police cruisers and a problem with a computer network that is affecting its fleet of cruisers during their most recent meeting.

Regarding the replacement of some old cruisers, police Chief Don Lambert said a 2015 Chevrolet and a 2018 Ford Taurus can be traded in at Montrose Ford in Akron, with the $4,000 for the Chevy and $8,000 for the Ford used toward the purchase of two new police vehicles.

Council budgeted $48,000 for one new vehicle last year and a second one could be funded with cash from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund. Lambert said the trust fund came from seizures from drug enforcement cases and as of January, the fund had a balance of $129,000.

The new vehicles are 2023 Ford Explorer Police Units. One will cost $34,800 and the second one $38,800.

“One has a few more options and we got a good discount on both,” Lambert said. “Both units were ordered (by another department) last year and were never picked up.”

He said that enabled the village to get a good price on them.

Council unanimously agreed to allow the old units to be traded in.

Also in police business, Lambert told council the police in-car computer system (Lynx) was discontinued for eight departments, of which the village was one.

“We had been getting the service through Canfield for free, but Lynx will no longer allow it,” Lambert said. “For the first time since computers were put into police cars, we don’t have the service.”

He said the computer link allows officers to see who owns the car, if it was stolen, and if the person was wanted or dangerous. It is a way for an officer to be better prepared during a traffic stop.

Lambert said the village can get connected again for $2,000 per year. Council unanimously approved the fee for 2024.