The Lawrence Police Foundation this week donated nine new defibrillator units to the police department, bringing the department’s supply of newer, more effective units to 17. But police say they need about that many more.

Through a pair of golf tournament fundraisers the last two years, the foundation has been able to allow police to purchase a total of $23,775 in new equipment, according to Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

The new Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs, replace older models that were less effective and that used more electricity, McKinley said. The new AEDs are counted on to be less expensive to maintain: The older models used a battery pack with a two-year shelf life and $225 price tag. The new units use batteries that can be bought at area retail stores for far less while lasting longer.

The new defibrillators can record data when used on a patient. Paramedics and physicians, McKinley said, can then download the data to be used as part of the patient’s care.