The County Press

‘To protect and to restore’

Ed-Tech’s auto body students work on former Imlay City Police vehicle



This 2010 Dodge Charger reached its mileage limit as a road patrol vehicle, and is being prepped for painting, after which it will be used by the Imlay City Police Department to get to meetings and training sessions. Photos by Krystal Moralee

This 2010 Dodge Charger reached its mileage limit as a road patrol vehicle, and is being prepped for painting, after which it will be used by the Imlay City Police Department to get to meetings and training sessions. Photos by Krystal Moralee

ATTICA TWP. — Career and Technical Education (CTE) is enriching the local community in more ways than just educating the workers of the future. Thanks to a solid offering of CTE classes at the Lapeer County Education and Technology Center and partnerships between school staff and community members, the students are learning to contribute while obtaining real hands-on experience.

Imlay City Police Chief Scott Pike has a deep respect for the skills and trades taught at Ed-Tech, and he’s playing a role in helping the students get experience that will help them once they are out of school. In return he — and the Imlay City community — are also receiving benefits.

In February, for example, Pike said the trailer that holds the Imlay City Police Department’s portable radar broke. He took it to Ed-Tech, and students in Cathleen McNally’s welding and machining class fixed it for him.

Pike has another project in the works at Ed-Tech as well. He had a 2010 Charger that had reached its mileage limit as a patrol vehicle, and it was just sitting in his parking lot. He got into contact with Ed-Tech’s Auto Body and Collision Repair instructor Luke Childers and inquired about the students working on the car so it could be used for administrative purposes such as meetings and training. That, he said, would mean a patrol car wouldn’t have to be used for non-patrol business, and he wouldn’t have to buy a new car for the department.

From left, Brennon Rouse, Julian Chambers, Holley Stheiner, Hunter Schieweck, William Fuhr, Kris Brown and Mathew Laframboise are the students in Luke Childers’ afternoon Auto Body and Collision Repair class at Ed-Tech. The students are working on the Dodge Charger behind them for Imlay City Police Chief Scott Pike. Photo by Krystal Moralee

From left, Brennon Rouse, Julian Chambers, Holley Stheiner, Hunter Schieweck, William Fuhr, Kris Brown and Mathew Laframboise are the students in Luke Childers’ afternoon Auto Body and Collision Repair class at Ed-Tech. The students are working on the Dodge Charger behind them for Imlay City Police Chief Scott Pike. Photo by Krystal Moralee

Childers agreed, so Pike took the vehicle to Ed-Tech where, during the afternoon session, students have slowly been working on it. There’s no rush, Pike said, as he’s just happy the vehicle is serving a purpose.

“They’re making it pretty for me, and hopefully mechanically sound,” he said. “I’m proud to see the kids working on it. It gives the kids something real to work on rather than just an engine on a stand. It’ll mean something to them.”

Hunter Schieweck and Holley Stheiner smooth out surfaces on the Dodge Charger that will become an administrative-use vehicle for the Imlay City Police Dept.

Hunter Schieweck and Holley Stheiner smooth out surfaces on the Dodge Charger that will become an administrative-use vehicle for the Imlay City Police Dept.

Collision parapro Ryan Hartsuck said the students have thus far completed some rust repair on the rear wheel wells and have been sanding the car down to prepare it for painting. They don’t have an exact time line as to when the vehicle will be finished, Hartsuck said.

Pike said he is impressed by the opportunities available to local students at the Ed-Tech Center, and he understands from experience the value something like that can have in helping those students find rewarding and lucrative careers.

“I was a shop kid in high school. I was a jet engine mechanic before I became a cop. I would have gone nuts to have the opportunities these kids have,” he said. “What an awesome program!”

When completed, Pike said, the vehicle won’t look like a regular police car, but he does want to make sure there is an indication on the car somewhere that it was worked on by Lapeer County ISD students, so the program gets some recognition for the students’ effort.