Centre Police Chief Kirk Blankenship was presented with a check in the amount of $119,000 on Tuesday afternoon; the funds will be used for either equipment or building needs.

Keith Baldwin of American Auctioneers along with Mayor Tony Wilkie, made that presentation at Centre City Hall:

Chief Blankenship has been participating in a program with the U.S. Government Department of Defense – and told WEIS Radio News more about the program:

Under those guidelines some equipment cannot be sold, such as HumVees or other armor-plated equipment.

The City of Centre has procured bulldozers, tractor trailer trucks and HumVees along with many other items – without cost – from the government.

The City did incur some expense in relation to having some of the equipment shipped or in some cases, traveling to pick up the equipment. Stipulations of the program include the fact that the City can use the equipment for a period of a year and afterwards if they sell it the proceeds must be used solely for law enforcement.

Chief Blankenship told WEIS Radio News that his department has additional equipment that can be sold later, but at the present time, is being used by the City.

The $3,500 check the mayor received for the sale of a surplus lawnmower will go back into the budget for the Street & Sanitation Department.