NCJ Number
224511
Journal
Law and Order: The Magazine for Police Management Volume: 56 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 74-76,78-80,83
Date Published
August 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes steps that 14 law enforcement agencies throughout the country are taking in dealing with rising fuel prices.
Abstract
One small agency is rebudgeting for more money and rigidly maintaining its 6-cylinder vehicles to ensure efficient gas use. A county agency in Virginia is purchasing police package vehicles with smaller V-6 engines to be mixed into its existing fleet of V-8 cruisers, while reducing its use of vans and SUVs in assignments where the use of smaller vehicles is sufficient. An agency in Connecticut is limiting officers’ use of take-home vehicles and is being more attentive to vehicle maintenance for fuel efficiency. An Illinois agency has instructed officers to turn off their cruiser engines when the cars are unattended, except when patrolling in below-freezing weather. A sheriff’s office in Iowa monitors the fuel use of each officer and has instructed officers to use stationary instead of moving radar and to otherwise conduct surveillance for traffic violations from rotating strategically parked positions rather than moving surveillance. An Arkansas agency has instituted a policy of having officers who use their departmental vehicles in off-duty jobs reimburse the city for the gas used in those jobs. An agency in New Mexico does not allow take-home patrol cars for personal use and encourages officers to park their vehicles for 2 hours per shift. Other agencies are encouraging officers to carpool when possible; purchasing alternative-fuel vehicles for administrative use; handling complaints and requests by phone or asking a caller to come to an agency facility rather than driving to the site of the call; and increasing the use of bicycle and motorcycle patrols.