Wickstrom Auto Group donates vehicle to Richmond Police

A new, gently used police car has been patrolling the streets of Richmond, thanks to a recent donation to the Richmond Police Department.

The Wickstrom Auto Group donated, in February, a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria to the Village of Richmond to support the patrol division. The Richmond Police Department was in immediate need of a patrol vehicle in February after two of their vehicles had become unserviceable.

The donated vehicle replaced a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria with 178,000 miles on it. The department runs 24/7 and the vehicle is to be shared between 17 police officers year-round.

“We are very excited to work with Wickstrom Auto Group to better our community. They are a great asset to the Northwest suburbs,” said Dave Byrnes, community liaison officer for the Richmond Police Department.

“The addition of this vehicle will allow us to further protect our community and citizens in a safe manner.”

The donation is welcome in the current economic climate that has left little money to purchase much-needed equipment.

Richard Wickstrom, co-owner of Wickstrom Auto Group of Barrington, said his company is happy to contribute the vehicle to the police department and “to help make Richmond a safer community.”

The donation would not have been complete without the addition of necessary standard police equipment. Additional services were supplemented by Rob Cruise of Ultrastrobe Communications in Crystal Lake, who specializes in outfitting many of the area’s police departments with emergency lights and equipment.

The vehicle’s exterior markings, consisting of vinyl reflective striping, were made possible by Matthew Eby of Sign-A-Rama in Crystal Lake.

Without the “support of the vendors and Wickstrom Auto Group, none of this would have been possible. We truly appreciate everything they have done for us,” said Byrnes.

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