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DRIVE-HOME VEHICLES |
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Written by Tim Gobble, Sheriff
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
Over the last several years, gasoline prices have soared. Experts predict it will hit at least $4 per gallon at the pump before we see any slowdown. Some folks have suggested that one way to help deal with the high cost of fuel is to cut the number of police cruisers on the road and reduce or eliminate take-home vehicles for emergency responders.
The BCSO already limits take-home vehicles to personnel who live in Bradley County and are required to respond to emergencies while off-duty. In addition, I have reduced the BCSO fleet size by over 20 vehicles since I took office in September 2006. Statistically, the size of the current BCSO fleet is in line with other law enforcement agencies of similar size, mission and responsibility.
It is the policy of the BCSO that deputies restrict the use of official vehicles to official business. Some limited personal use is allowed, but only if that personal use is directly incidental to a deputy’s employment responsibilities. For example, if a deputy needs to mail a letter or drop a child off at school or something like that, they are allowed to do so as long as the stop they make is reasonably located along the route necessary to complete the job assignment. This is known as “limited personal use incidental to employment.” Now, if the post office is not located along the route incidental to employment, then the use of an official vehicle would not be allowed.
Of course, when off-duty, the use of official vehicles is restricted to official call-outs only. The drive-home policy is not for the benefit of the employee ~ it is for the benefit of the citizens of Bradley County. In fact, the IRS does not consider take-home emergency vehicles that are restricted in the manner I have described as personal income or a benefit.
As sheriff of Bradley County, I am constitutionally and statutorily responsible for the safety and well-being of a growing population of approximately 100,000 citizens in a 333 square mile area. BCSO deputies are charged with investigating crime, apprehending criminals, operating a 408-bed jail, protecting 13 different courts, serving warrants, patrolling the roads, preventing and deterring crime, responding to calls and being prepared to handle a host of other emergencies, whether man-made or natural disasters. Unfortunately, crime and mishap don’t punch a clock or keep regular hours. Law enforcement and emergency personal must be on the job 24/7, 365 days a year, without exception.
I consider take-home vehicles necessary to the performance of my duties and essential to fulfilling the increasing demands of a growing population. The BCSO take-home program saves lives, preserves resources and is sound public policy for any number of reasons.
For instance, if the take-home policy were reduced or eliminated, many BCSO cruisers would have to be parked in a centralized location. This places most of the fleet and valuable equipment in a position of vulnerability in the event of vandalism, sabotage, destruction or natural disaster. A simple explosive device placed at the centralized location or an out-of-control tornado could easily eliminate our ability to respond to emergencies, and would offer looters free rein to engage in criminal activity.
Eliminating or reducing take-home vehicles would also marginalize law enforcement visibility in communities throughout the county. By decreasing this valuable deterrent factor, criminals would be more emboldened to sell narcotics, commit burglaries, steal property and engage in vandalism. Losing that law enforcement visibility throughout the county and in our neighborhoods would significantly inhibit our community policing efforts.
Eliminating or further restricting the take-home vehicles will unduly hamper, delay, reduce and/or eliminate many emergency responses that I consider necessary, likely and reasonably predictable. Ideally, a law enforcement agency maintains the number of employees on duty to handle the normal routine and flow of operations, such as established work hours and the on-going number of calls for service (we had 112,000 calls for service in Bradley County last year). I say “ideally” because the BCSO is operating and has been operating at minimum levels in terms of manpower and equipment for many years. But we know our normal routine and flow of operations. If something happens outside that normal routine, it requires a concentrated and extra law enforcement response above and beyond the normal routine workload. Additional resources must be immediately called in to handle the major emergency while continuing to respond to the normal workload, which does not stop, for the duration of the unforseen emergency.
Some examples of emergencies that fall outside the normal routine would be a tornado or a series of tornadoes moving across the county creating extensive damage and injury. An unforseen emergency could be a lost child or missing person whose safety is dependent on a quick and immediate response over a wide area. It could be an active shooter situation at a school, church, local factory, courthouse or mall. It could be a hostage/barricade situation, a bomb or explosion incident, an escaped convict or fleeing felon hiding in the woods, a major accident in the Interstate fog zone, a chemical leak at a local plant, a train derailment with a chemical spill, or the evacuation of 5,000 Bradley County residents due to a nuclear incident at Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant.
If any of these, or any number of other emergency situations take place, it will require immediate off-duty deputies and resources responding directly to the scene, staging area, emergency operation center or incident command center. To delay that response by forcing emergency responders to drive their personal vehicles with the normal flow of traffic to a centralized fleet location, be assigned an emergency vehicle and then respond to the location of the emergency will, without a doubt, create enough of a delay to seriously jeopardize innocent life. This is simply not reasonable when the public safety is at stake. It is unacceptable to me and I hope it is unacceptable to you.
Having a number of patrol cars spread throughout the county ready to respond anywhere they may be needed at a moment’s notice in any variety of emergencies is invaluable. It is responsible emergency management and planning. Best of all, that system is already in place. That is not a goal we are trying to achieve ~ those patrol cars are in place now. I am thankful the county commission has, in the past, seen the wisdom of funding enough vehicles to handle both routine calls and the myriad of other emergencies that occur and for which we must be prepared for in Bradley County. To eliminate or reduce drive-home cruisers would be taking a step backwards.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but what if it were your child or loved one who suddenly went missing? What if a demented shooter suddenly broke into your office or place of business and took you hostage? What if a tornado leveled your neighborhood, or a mass evacuation was needed because a chlorine tanker overturned and was in danger of exploding? What if some disgruntled, homegrown terrorist decided to smuggle a pipe bomb into a ball game? God forbid, but if you ever faced a scenario like the ones I have just described, the importance of the immediate and direct response of a well-trained deputy with a take-home cruiser that is fully equipped and functional would be deeply evident.
While it is important and practical to conserve fuel, and we have done so where possible, it is imprudent and impractical to lose sight of the bigger picture: When the unexpected happens or when lives are hanging in the balance, we must be properly prepared to meet the emergency with decisiveness and haste.
I contend the extra cost, if any, for take-home vehicles is negligible. In fact, studies show over and over again that agencies with take-home policies actually extend the life of their fleet over the long term due to better maintenance and vehicle care. The truth is, when deputies are going to and from home at shift change, if they are outfitted and behind the wheel of their cruiser, they are ready to respond to emergencies right then, as opposed to driving to a central location, securing a vehicle and then heading toward the problem area..
If there are times when a take-home policy costs us a few more dollars in fuel, I would think it is far outweighed by the savings to lives and property today, tomorrow and next year. I cannot put a price on emergency preparedness or on the life of a Bradley County citizen. Especially since there are so many other non-essential government services that could take cuts much more easily than law enforcement. Public safety is essential and the primary responsibility of any government. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 April 2008 )
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