CLEVELAND — For more than a year, students at Ohio Technical College in Cleveland have been working on restoring a 1979 GMC Sierra for the Cleveland Police Department and the Cleveland Police Foundation.
On Friday, during a ceremony at the college, students handed over the keys to officers.
“The cool thing about the old vehicles is they had a personality, right?” said Steve McBride, one of the longtime instructors at the college. “It's kind of an old-school… minimal technology, but a pretty cool truck.”
The truck was once used as part of the police department’s D.A.R.E. program and was worked on more than a decade ago by students at Max Hayes High School in Cleveland and Ohio Technical College.
"We saw this truck. It was beat down. It was sitting in a parking lot- couldn't even start up," said Jarod Schlacht, Deputy Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police. "We managed to limp it here and you took over and did such an amazing job."
It’s now being used as a community engagement truck and needed a refresh, with the Cleveland Police Department once again turning to students for help.
“The truck had shown some sun damage, and the vinyl was starting to get old, so they wanted to change it up. It was rusted in some spots,” McBride said.
Students in the college’s Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology and Rod and Custom Restoration Technology programs participated in the special project. It included stripping the vinyl decals and logo, sanding the steel panels, and repainting the vehicle.
Nick Kubaitis worked on the truck. He currently works at an auto body shop in Northeast Ohio but enrolled at Ohio Technical College after learning about their program during a visit to his high school.
“It was local, so it was a good way to commute, stay at home, and also get my education,” Kubaitis said.
He said getting formal training and a degree was important as he looks to enhance his earning potential.
Kubaitis said the GMC Sierra is the oldest vehicle he’s worked on.
"It was definitely a process to go through. Can't rush it. It's just step by step,” Kubaitis said. “I started last year on the hood and also the driver’s side bed and the fender. I had a challenging moment with the driver’s side door because the paint wasn't mixed properly, and it was expired, so I had to sand it down and redo the whole thing."
It was a learning moment. That’s what it’s all about.
McBride said seeing students' growth is rewarding.
“To see the whole project go from what it was to where we're at right now is pretty cool,” McBride said.
Ronald Wells teaches custom painting and graphics at Ohio Technical College.
The airbrush artist painted a mural on the truck’s tailgate featuring sculptures of guardians seen on Cleveland’s Hope Memorial Bridge, the words “bridging the gap,” a Thin Blue Line American flag, and two hands doing a handshake.
"We wanted to kind of incorporate something that would engage with the community, bring the community and police together, so we have some cohesion and unity,” Wells said.
He wants the real-time lessons to show his students the value of handmade work.
“Authenticity—that's often missing when it comes to a digital world,” Wells said.
McBride said the truck symbolizes the strength of community and the significance of skilled trades, especially as industries seek to expand their workforce.
“There's a lot of older folks out there that are looking to retire with a lot of gray hair, and we need the young people to come in in an influx,” McBride said.
The latest TechForce Foundation report states that between 2024 and 2028, nearly 1 million technicians will be needed, consisting of 471,000 automotive technicians, 101,000 collision techs, 150,000 aircraft and avionics technicians, and 249,000 diesel technicians.
Noah is happy with the work he and his classmates did. He said he’s thankful for the opportunity to help the police.
“I think it was really awesome because they trust us with our ability. And especially for Cleveland P.D., it’s just an honor to do something like this for them,” Kubaitis said.
At the ceremony, Robert Guttu with the Cleveland Police Foundation honored the college with its Community Partners of the Month award. He said it was for "helping make the City of Cleveland a safe place to live, work, play and raise a family."
Schlacht echoed Guttu's remarks.
"This truck doesn't just look good in parades; it looks good in our parking lot and makes us more friendly with the community," Schlacht said. "This right here will save somebody's life just from opening up a line of communication of how to solve problems. This will reduce violent crimes because it opens up lines of communication so we can talk to the youth of tomorrow and get them to see different ways to solve their problems. So not only did you make this beautiful truck, something that's great to look at, I promise you each and every one of you that worked hard on this helped save a life in this community."
Ohio Technical College currently has about 400 students. They offer seven programs, with tuition between $26,000 and $40,000.
