MOBILE, Alabama – Seven new 2013 Harley Davidson electra-glide police edition motorcycles were officially added today to a fleet of 26 bikes during an unveiling at the Police Department's First Precinct.

"These are life-saving pieces of equipment," Mobile Police Chief Micheal T. Williams said during an afternoon news conference. "We put these motorcycles in area so people to slow people down."

The motorcycle purchases, which cost the city $184,281, were funded through the city's controversial penny sales tax increase in October 2012. The money comes from tax revenue raised from the city's capital fund budget.

"When we were initiating the penny sales tax, this is one of the things we talked about with enhancing our public safety," Mayor Sam Jones said. "We made provisions to order that equipment. One of the key purchase was for the Police Department and for new equipment. We are very pleased to see this happen and to put them in service now."

The motorcycles, which are the first of the Police Department's purchases to be delivered to the city, replace older models which date back to 2005.

The department also recently purchased radar equipment and four segways. The costs for those purchases are $31,240.

In addition, the city is waiting to get up to 70 new police cars. Williams said five to six have been purchased and delivered, though the remaining vehicles will begin arriving in the summer.

The vehicle purchases are part of a $5.1 million lease agreement the City Council approved in December. That agreement gave the city the go-ahead to purchase police and fire vehicles as well as Public Works.

Two new fire engine trucks were the first of the vehicles delivered to the city as part of that agreement. In February, the Fire Department unveiled two new ladder trucks valued slightly under $2 million.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones (left) and Police Chief Micheal T. Williams talk about the city's penny sales tax and purchase of public vehicles during a news conference held on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at the department's first precinct on Virginia Street. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com)

The sales tax increase allowed for the allocation of 25 percent equally into four funds: the city's general fund, escrow account, economic development and capital improvement funds. The allocation into the escrow account allowed for the purchase of new field turf for Ladd-Peebles Stadium, which was approved unanimously by the council on Tuesday.

The entire extra revenue generated from the sales tax increase is supposed to be $25 million, though there has been some concerns raised about sales tax figures slumping this year in Mobile. Last month, though, the Finance Director Barbara Malkove said sales tax figures were on budget.