At Hellertown Borough Council’s meeting Monday night, council unanimously approved a recommendation by Police Chief Robert Shupp to appoint a new towing service provider to respond to accidents in the borough in which vehicles require towing.
Shupp told council he was making the recommendation because Kichline’s Service Station–which has met the towing needs of the police department for at least 35 years–will no longer be offering that service.
Kichline’s garage is a well-known family business that has been located on Front Street in Hellertown for half a century.
Owner Kevin Kichline confirmed for Saucon Source Tuesday that Kichline’s will no longer offer towing service because the family business is closing at the end of May.
“This is not something we make money off of,” Shupp told council. “They just tow our vehicles.”
Shupp recommended that council make Saucon Collision of Lower Saucon Township the designated towing service for the police department.
Saucon Collision is located on Old Philadelphia Pike in Lower Saucon Township.
They are already the backup service for the department, they have experience in dealing with the needs of local police departments–serving both Lower Saucon Township and part of Upper Saucon Township–and they have good response times, Shupp said.
Shupp said that after researching various towing companies, Saucon Collision was “very interested” when he approached them about a contract.
They have since submitted a declaration of insurance as well as their fee schedule to the department, he said.
Although Kichline’s held the Hellertown police contract for many years, the appointment of a towing service is undertaken at the will of council, and the borough can revisit the matter on a yearly basis if it so chooses, Shupp noted.
Saucon Collision is located at 3678 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem, about three miles west of the center of Hellertown borough.
