CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE : Money Is Found to Fix Patrol Car

Community service officers at Cal State Northridge have offered to take money from their budget to foot the repair bill for a campus police car that was wrecked several months ago during a pursuit, campus police officials said.

“We have an absolute lack of funding that would allow us to pay for repairs to the vehicle,” campus police Lt. Mark Hissong said.

But he said the community service officers division of the Department of Public Safety has surplus money that can either be carried over to next semester or used for other purposes.

“It was agreed that while there is a need for improving equipment, it would best serve the university community to repair the vehicle,” Hissong said.

Repairs to the car, one of four patrol units on campus, will cost an estimated $5,000, Hissong said.

The car was damaged last year when two men suspected of burglarizing a Northridge store drove onto the CSUN campus in an attempt to flee from pursuing Los Angeles police officers.

When a campus police officer heard the Los Angeles officers’ broadcast, he went to their aid. But before he could join the chase, the suspects’ car collided head-on with the campus police car, which spun and slammed into a tree, Hissong said.

Both suspects, who fled on foot, were caught and arrested by Los Angeles police.

Requests by campus police for money to repair the damaged vehicle were fruitless because of budget constraints, Hissong said. “There was no light at the end of the tunnel for fixing it with our own funds.”

Community service officers, known as “the eyes and ears of the campus police,” recently agreed to foot the bill, which Hissong called “a truly commendable deed on their part.”

Community service officers help enforce parking and guard the entrances to the campus, among other duties.

“The police officers help us out a great deal,” said Marlin Hines, assistant manager of the community service officers division. “It’s about time we repaid them to show our appreciation.”

The patrol car should be sent out for repair this month, Hissong said.