The Foothill-De Anza District Police Department purchased two new $19,000 2013 Zero DS Police Motorcycles.

The motorcycles were delivered to campus on Oct. 15. They are electric with an approximate range of 120 miles on a single charge and reach a maximum of 95 miles per hour.

The purchase was funded using the Police Department General Fund account, wrote Chief of Police Ron Levine in an email.

The Zero Police Motorcycles are fully equipped with pursuit emergency lighting and sirens, safety components, case features, and storage options to carry gear, patrol items, and emergency medical equipment, according to Motorcycles USA.

“They have two levels of efficiency; first they are very cost effective at approx. $0.01 per mile to operate and they provide the officer the ability to patrol the campus quietly, with excellent visibility (when compared to patrolling in a car),” Levine wrote in an email. “They are similar to our bike patrol, except that the motorcycles are more versatile, because they can quickly respond to either campus when required.”

Not all De Anza students agree that the purchase was a smart move.

“That money could go into funding educational things like buying computers or offering more classes,” said Xiomara Rosada, a 26-year-old biological sciences major.

Madison Pruett, 21, film major, said she thought that it wouldn’t help to reduce crime on campus. “Whatever they are doing already should be enough. They don’t need motorcycles to improve their job,” Pruett said.

The motorcycles are used for several tasks, including general patrol, traffic enforcement and special event duties, according to Levine.

The motorcycles joined the current patrol fleet, consisting of various cars, bicycles and golf carts on both campuses.