Los Gatos police receive grant to purchase utility terrain vehicle

The Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department received a $65,000 state grant to fund the purchase of a utility terrain vehicle for the department.

Capt. Clinton Tada said the department will use the vehicle for patrols or calls for service in creek trails, open space land and rural terrain and in disaster response situations.

After buying the UTV, the department will put any remaining funds toward updating gas masks and ballistic riot helmets, according to a staff report.

The staff report states that the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs Association advocated for funding the purchase through the state Homeland Security Grant Program since a utility terrain vehicle would provide “regional mutual aid.”

“The UTV will be a shared regional asset by all law enforcement agencies throughout the Santa Clara County operational area for deployment during public events, rural patrol/rescue missions and during mutual aid critical incidents,” the report states.

Tada said the department has received calls about criminal activity and for medical assistance on hiking trails or in open space preserves that are usually inaccessible to the department’s patrol vehicles, which is where the UTV would come in handy.

“With the increase in domestic terror-related incidents, Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire threats and open space and creek trail use, accessibility and mobility for first responders to and from these areas continue to pose significant risks,” the report states.

The county’s Office of Emergency Services received applications for the state grant funding in September 2022, then submitted the applications to the state’s Office of Emergency Services. The county was notified this January that the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department was awarded the grant, according to the staff report.

Tada said the department is looking to acquire the vehicle in the 2024-25 fiscal year.