LIMA — A $3,000 donation Marathon made to the Shawnee Township Police Department will be used to purchase equipment, Chief Mike Keith said Wednesday.
Marathon Terminal Operations Manager Nick Mwanthi presented Keith and several officers with the check Wednesday.
“This is just a show of us being a good neighbor,” Mwanthi said.
Keith said the money will be used to buy one cruiser dashboard camera and a computer for the dispatch operation, which also covers the fire department and the road crew.
“It will be beneficial and help us and the community,” Keith said.
Marathon approached Keith earlier in the year about paying for needed equipment. Keith checked to see what the department needed the most, sought a price quote and presented it to Marathon, which agreed to pay for it, he said.
Keith said the donation means there will be money available to buy other needed equipment. He said it’s rare to get such a donation and usually the department has to search for grant money when taxpayer dollars aren’t enough.
Keith said Marathon has been a good corporate partner. They have sought the help of police in reviewing their security plan for holes and even participated in an active-shooter exercise a year ago at the Marathon site on South Dixie Highway, Keith said.
Marathon made a similar donation to the Shawnee Township Fire Department recently for firefighters to purchase equipment.
