BY PAT FARNELLI

The Great Bend Borough Police Department held a swearing in of officers Monday night to inaugurate the borough’s police coverage.

The Officer in Charge is Jon Record, and Tom Golka and Tim Cramer have been hired as officers. The borough council has been holding extra meetings for months to hasten the start of police coverage, and there is now an active police presence in the borough.

The first ticket was issued on Thursday, Oct. 6 to a minor who ran almost every stop sign in town at a very high rate of speed, driving his grandmother’s Ford 500. The officer stopped the vehicle just after the borough council meeting ended.

The officers were sworn in using the Jennings Family Bible, from an esteemed family who can trace itself back to founding settlers. The Bible was originally owned by Lancaster Jennings, was passed down to Jasper Jennings, and now is theJennings’ Family Bible to be used for special occasions for descendents.

The police department office is not entirely complete, but it is a matter of some tile work to complete in the bathroom and a resetting of a toilet as well as other plumbing. The fire doors have not arrived yet, and will be installed when the vendor is able to deliver them. There was some delay due to flooding of the manufacturer’s building, it was said. The contractor has been difficult to contact. Furniture is being delivered on Wednesday, and is being donated. Officer Record had offered to pick up the furniture.

The police car needs to go to a mechanic inWindsor,N.Y., to have a divider fitted to it.

An Open House is being planned for the end of October, to show off the garage, the car, and the police force. The open house will be held at the borough garage at the corner of Elizabeth and Franklin Streets.