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HomeMy WebLinkAboutII (A) Take Home Car Plan 14,4e 0-A-6-1'41 4/3ortes2 Ocoee Police Department 175 N. Bluford Avenue y�� Robert E. Mark Ocoee, Florida 34761 — Chief of Police Phone (407) 656-1313 y ` a Fax (407) 656-0218 ;i:4-ek::': ®t Neadie TO: Honorable Mayor and Board of Ci. e'• FROM: Robert E. Mark, Chief of Police - ssioners DATE: April 27, 1998 SUBJECT: ASSIGNED VEHICLE PROGRAM STAFF REPORT ISSU Should the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners approve the implementation of an Assigned Vehicle Program which would allow law enforcement officers to be permanently assigned a patrol vehicle for their individual use. "Permanent"in this context means on a twenty-four(24) hour basis. BACK =ROIj Assigned Vehicle Programs are as different as the agencies that employ them. The size of agencies with Assigned Vehicle Program's span the continu Department to such 1 e � ranging from the seven-man Waterloo (Illinois) Police agencies as the Miiami,Lexington,Indianapolis and Salt Lake City Police Departments. The reasons cited for implementing such a program are equally diverse. Common to each however, is that there are significant benefits, as documented within this report, to the department and to the community that they serve. Further, the benefits derived from these programs have in virtually every case been determined to outweigh the costs required to maintain them. In some jurisdictions officers utilize the vehicle both on and off- duty, although generally restricted to the jurisdiction in which they work. Although there are many differences in the policies which govern the use of take-home vehicles, prevalent to most are mandates that: 1) restrict the assignment of take-home car to patrol officers who reside within the jurisdiction; 2) permit the vehicle to be_used for personal reasons,.but only within the community itself; ,o°eu'°*� D 3 ; r�i �rouce��' _ •_ \ war , • Staff Report/Assigned Vehicle Program April 27, 1998 Page 2 3) allow only the officer him/herself to drive the vehicle; 4) provide take-home vehicles based on availability; 5) require the officer to be armed, in possession of proper credentials, and be alert to emergency radio traffic, and most importantly; 6) require the officer to respond appropriately whenever they observe or are notified of an incident which is deserving of police action. This may require anything from rendering assistance to a stranded motorist, to temporarily directing traffic at the scene of a vehicular accident, to responding to the scene of an emergency or disaster. Benefits While the political economical and situational factors which give rise to the implementation of an Assigned Vehicle Program differ in each particular agency, the benefits derived by each have been remarkably uniform. Among the positive consequences mentioned in virtually every discussion of assigned vehicle programs are: • Increased Police Visibility- Increased visibility is in complete harmony with the philosophy and goals of community oriented policing. It puts the police department out in the streets and neighborhoods and makes them more approachable. • Enhanced Crime Prevention -With increased visibility comes the additional benefit of crime prevention or deterrence. Most departments are convinced that the sight of a squad car acts as a deterrent to criminal activity in the area, and certainly serves to slow unsafe vehicular traffic. • Decreased Repair and Maintenance Costs - Studies consistently show that the repair and maintenance costs for take-home cars is significantly less than for pool cars. The reasons for these reductions in cost are several. First, officers assigned take-home vehicles simply take better care of them than a pool car. When the car goes in for repair, it is that officer who is without his/her car, i.e., it is he/she who is personally inconvenienced. Consequently, officers tend to develop more conscientious driving habits because they have something at stake. A second reason for reduced repair and maintenance cost is that these better driving tendencies have translated into fewer preventable accidents as well. Staff Report/Assigned Vehicle Program April 27, 1998 Page 3 • Greater Useful Life of Vehicles - Assigned vehicles are generally expected to last four and a half to five years, compared to the current useful life of three and a half years. Take-home car accumulate fewer miles per year, and the miles they are driven are not as "hard"as the miles put on pool cars. Fewer miles are accumulated because they are used only one shift per day, five days per week. Mileage is therefore accumulated at less than one-third the rate of an intensive use car. The vehicle requires fewer oil changes, tire changes, radiator flushes, and brake overhauls. This should show an approximate savings of half of the normal repairs which run now between approximately$900-1000 on average per car a year depending on the age of the car. Another hidden savings is realized as officers report for duty ready for work. With assigned vehicles there is no wasted time with vehicle changeovers, loading of personal equipment, searches for contrabandJand otherwise readying the car for the officer's use. None of these tasks are required with Assigned Vehicle Program's. The net result is that officers are more quickly on the street performing the duties they are paid to perform. ■ Emergency Response Availability-Having additional officers with assigned vehicles who live within the community greatly enhances the department's ability to quickly mobilize resources to meet the needs of emergencies and disasters. Officers can respond to the scene, fully equipped, without having to first report to the station, unload their gear from their personal car into a department car. • Increased Officer Morale-Because Assigned Vehicle Program's not only benefit the officer, but demonstrate that the Department strives to be professional and innovative, these programs are considered beneficial to both the recruitment and retention of superior employees despite an ever-shrinking pool of qualified applicants. • Job Performance - Two factors which can impact job performance are morale and pride of ownership. Each of these factors can be enhanced through a take-home vehicle program. As officers see improvements in the Department's efforts to provide the best equipment and programs with which to fight crime, a corresponding effort is likely to be elicited from the individual officer. As morale is boosted, so is productivity. DISCUSSION Neither the review of the literature nor interviews with law enforcement practitioners provided sufficient reasons for the Ocoee Police Department not to implement an assigned vehicle program. While some departments cited high start-up costs, those costs were attributable to the purchase of significant numbers of vehicles. Nevertheless, each indicated that the programs would pay for themselves in the long run. Cape Coral, for example, expects to save in excess of$335,000 over 10 years from purchase and operating costs alone. Staff Report/Assigned Vehicle Program - April 27, 1998 Page 4 There are clearly advantages to assigned vehicle programs. Some, such as reduced operating and repair costs, increased vehicle life, and reduced accidents are easily quantifiable. Others, including increased police visibility and presence, crime deterrence,reduced fear of crime, directly and indirectly increased patrol time, and improved employee morale are more difficult to measure. Regardless of the grounds on which such a program is implemented, however, each department is likely to enjoy a multitude of benefits to a lesser or greater extent. Both the Department and the community could benefit greatly from an assigned vehicle program. First and foremost, an Assigned Vehicle Program would maximize the use of taxpayer dollars in an innovative, efficient and cost effective manner. In a climate of static budgetary resources, it is imperative that the Department continue to seek non-traditional avenues in order to meet the growing demand for additional services. Secondly, an Assigned Vehicle Program would lend itself well to the Department's on-going efforts to develop and maintain positive interaction with the community. The vehicles assigned would effectively be visible throughout the City. Increased visibility would in turn translate into enhanced crime prevention and a corresponding reduction in the fear of crime. With the potential for gang activity ever-present, and rising trends in burglary, graffiti, and crimes. against persons, any program which may serve to minimize the opportunity for crime must be fully explored. A third benefit would be the increased ability to attract current employees to reside in the City of Ocoee, as well as to recruit prospective employees from within Ocoee. Each would serve to enhance the sense of community and ownership that is imperative to the provision of police services for the future. Concerns As mentioned above, some jurisdictions allow officers to utilize the vehicle both on and off-duty, although generally restricted to the jurisdiction in which they work. Some also allow family members to ride in marked vehicles during off-duty time which would bring several liability issues into play. Officers cannot be expected to respond appropriately whenever they observe or are notified of an incident which is deserving of police action if the officer has family members riding with him/her. If officers do respond appropriately whenever they observe or are notified of an incident which is deserving of police action, how is that officer compensated for his/her time? How will this be monitored? Will the officer be compensated for his/her time from portal to portal on a daily basis? Will officers be allowed to do any vehicle maintenance while off-duty without being compensated? Staff Report/Assigned Vehicle Program April 27, 1998 Page 5 Is this program restricted to officers who reside in the city limits of Ocoee only or will an allowance be made for officers who reside outside the city limits, within a certain mileage, and would the officer be required to compensate the City for use of the city vehicle?.:_.. Insurance coverage on the officer while driving the vehicle in an off-duty status? Worker's Comp and Death benefits if officer is injured and/or killed while off-duty? Does the individual officer have to complete his/her 1 year probationary period prior to beingassigned for take home? a vehicle RECOMMENDAfl It is respectfully recommended that the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners not approve the implementation of a modified Assigned Vehicle Program for the Ocoee Police Department at this point and time. Although this type of program would benefit the employee, the city and the citizens as well, the growth of the City is not expected to slow down for several more years. The cost associated with this type of program will only escalate along with the growth of the city over the next several:years. It is recommended that this program be re-visited in a couple of years.