WOODLAND – Woodland officials continued their efforts to improve the town police department here Thursday.

Since the Woodland Board of Commissioners decided to add four new part-time officers to the town staff, they also began work to upgrade the vehicles used by the police department.

In an effort to do that, the town purchased a used vehicle from another law enforcement agency to allow Police Chief Don Ryan to have to cars in his fleet.

On Thursday, the town board gave Ryan their blessing to proceed with the application for a grant to replace the vehicle currently driven by the chief.

“This special meeting is called to ask us to allow Police Chief Don Ryan to pursue a USDA grant for a new patrol car,” Woodland Mayor Jay Jenkins said.

Mayor Pro Tempore Les Clark made the motion to allow Ryan to proceed with the application with Commissioner Joe Blythe offering a second. The board passed the measure without objection.

Jenkins then appointed Blythe, who serves as the board’s police commissioner, to head the committee. Blythe appointed Ryan and Town Clerk Gail Colson to form the committee to receive information and proceed with the grant.