$200K Raised from Police Auction, Supervisor Says

An auction of equipment from the now defunct Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department last Saturday garnered about $200,000, according to Upper Macungie Supervisor Sam Ashmar.

"We haven't gotten the final, hard numbers from the auctioneer, but I anticipate we reached the $200,000. We won't know for sure until we get the hard numbers," Ashmar said.

Ashmar said Upper Macungie Township will receive about 76% of the funds raised by the auction. Ashmar said those funds will be utilized to pay down Upper Macungie's pension liability from the defunct police department.

That pension liability has been pegged at approximately $700,000.

The remaining 24% of the auction proceeds will be split among Topton Borough, Lyons Borough and Maxatawny Township, who had been part of the regional force.

The Renaissance Auction Group in Reading lead the auction of guns, unmarked police cars, leather jackets and other police items that once belonged to the former police department.

Two sessions were held last Saturday, one for police departments and municipalities and a second for the general public.