BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
A difficult search for a missing elderly man last year led Ohio’s Swanton Police Department to strengthen its emergency response capabilities with excess military motorcycles acquired through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office.
During the search, officials said officers and K-9 units struggled to navigate rugged terrain and narrow farm paths for two weeks before tragically finding the missing man’s body. For Swanton Police Chief John Trejo, the incident highlighted a critical operational gap and his department turned to the DLA Disposition Services excess equipment inventory for two off-road dirt bikes and one street motorcycle to help improve local rescue capabilities in hard-to-reach areas.
Trejo said traditional utility vehicles were inadequate for the local terrain, making the excess dirt bikes an ideal tool for future emergencies.
“There are trails and a lot of these woods, they’re just not suitable for like a regular ATV, like a four-wheel ATV,” Trejo said. “To be able to get back into those quickly, you know, whether it’s to go back and treat somebody … we can get people back to them or at least the equipment in a narrow path.”
The National Defense Authorization Acts of 1990 and 1991 laid the foundation for LESO/1033 program. Congressionally authorized and administered by DLA Disposition Services, the program allows the no-cost loan or donation of excess military equipment for use by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The Swanton Police Department serves a village of nearly 4,000 residents west of Toledo. With a force of just 10 patrol officers, stretching the department’s budget is a constant challenge. Equipping the free motorcycles with police lights requires minimal expense compared with purchasing new patrol vehicles. Trejo said the department plans to reserve the two dirt bikes for emergency responses in wooded areas while deploying the street motorcycle for traffic control and community engagement during local events.
“[We’re] able to use that kind of in a more personable way of getting around and talking to the community members,” Trejo said.
In addition to motorcycles, the department previously acquired a generator, a utility vehicle, and a trailer through the 1033 program.
Trejo said all the property they have obtained through LESO has been a great asset to both the department and the community.