‘It means a lot’: Koppel Borough community rallies to raise money for new police cruiser

KOPPEL BOROUGH, Pa. — Koppel Borough Police has a new backup cruiser to respond to emergencies.

The department only had one cruiser left because another one was wrecked in a high-speed chase during a large police pursuit last month.

If at any point their only cruiser was down for service or maintenance, police said they would have to respond to calls on foot or request help from a nearby department.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Koppel Borough Police down to just 1 cruiser after another was destroyed in chase

“I mean, it’s a public safety issue. We don’t want to shortchange our residents,” said Athena Pangikas-Miller, the mayor of Koppel Borough.

The mayor and police chief said they were in dire need and were asking the community for support to buy a backup.

“We are a low-budget police department. It’s hard for us to come up with the money to fund this. It’s a big purchase for us,” said Chief Justin Warren of Koppel Borough police department.

After our original story aired last week, the chief said they got a call from a Channel 11 viewer. She donated $12,000 to the department. She also wrote a letter saying, “You deserve to have people here for you when you are in need.”

“It means a lot and if you’re watching this, I really appreciate you and I will do everything I can to repay you,” said Chief Warren.

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The department bought a used cruiser from the Union Township Police Department. The chief said it was good timing because their other cruiser has to go in for maintenance.

Meanwhile, the department has received more donations from the community, including $400 for medical kits, and a firework raffle was started to raise $2,000.

“We sometimes figure how appreciated we are, appreciated by the public to get this type of support. It means a lot and it’s why we wear our badge every single day,” said Chief Warren.

The police chief said the woman who donated the $12,000 doesn’t even live in the town, never heard of Koppel Borough before. She’s a stranger who just wanted to help.

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