By JOHN KOZIOL

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Proving the adage that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, the Police Department is considering itself quite blessed to have recently obtained two surplus vehicles from the U.S. Postal Service.

For $2,000, or what Chief Tom Oetinger called "salvage cost," the department bought the two vans which most recently did bulk mail delivery for the U.S.P.S. facility in Manchester.

The U.S.P.S. last summer converted to another type of truck, making nine of the older vehicles, including the two that the LPD eventually got, surplus.

The aluminum-paneled, diesel-powered vans are in excellent running condition, said Oetinger, and came with lots of spare parts, including radiators, doors and lights. He said the U.S.P.S maintenance chief said the vehicle should each have another 10-15 years of service left.

One of the vans will be converted into a passenger transporter, of either prisoners or police officers, while the second will be a utility vehicle and carry around a variety of equipment, including traffic cones and barricades, said the chief.

The passenger van will come in handy when the department responds to an incident, such as an underage drinking party where up to a dozen people have to be taken into custody and during Bike Week will mean that the department doesn’t have to pay to rent a van to transport officers between their different posts.