Despite a recent decrease in the price of gasoline, the Dalton Police Department continues to be proactive in finding ways to reduce the department's fuel consumption. To that end, Chief Jason Parker today announced an adjustment to the department's fuel policy and Assigned Vehicle Program which assigns officers target levels of fuel consumption and has them share in the cost of overages.
The department has studied the fuel consumption of each division within the department, and calculated a target goal of monthly gallons of gas to be used. These calculations take into account that patrol personnel and investigators are sometimes required to work overtime shifts, and/or to conduct concentrated patrols, such as 2007's Operation A.B.L.E. The target amounts for each division are as follows:
- Administrative Staff - 45 gallons per month
- Patrol Officers - 120 gallons per month
- Patrol Sergeants - 65 gallons per month
- Criminal Investigations - 75 gallons per month
- Drug Unit - 95 gallons per month
Each employee affected by the policy, which goes into effect on October 1, 2008, will be briefed on the target amount of fuel, and trained on methods to track monthly consumption. If an employee uses more than the target amount of fuel, that employee will be required to purchase an equivalent amount from their own funds. However, during a monthly cycle, no employee will be expected to purchase more fuel, in gallons, than would be required for a monthly commute to/from their residence.
Had this policy been in place during July 2008, employees would have combined to purchase a total of 600 gallons of fuel from their own funds, which projects to about 7,000 gallons per year. The average officer in the department's Assigned Vehicle Program has a commute distance of 10.21 miles.
"The Assigned Vehicle Program adds real value to the community by increasing police presence, our ability to respond faster in a large-scale incident, and keeps maintenance costs lower," said Chief Jason Parker. "This adjustment should bring the program full-circle with the officers sharing the cost of fuel."
"Having an assigned vehicle program also aids the department in retention of trained officers as these type programs have become the norm throughout our profession."
The policy adjustment is being put into place in concert with measures put into place earlier this summer to reduce fuel consumption. Those measures included additional time for officers to spend on foot patrol, increasing the bike patrol from 3 officers to 7, stopping engines whenever possible, and increasing the amount of car-pooling by investigators and command staff. Those measures resulted in a combined two-month savings of 1,500 gallons in June and July 2008.
This newest adjustment to the fuel policy is being made to save resources the department needs to carry out its mission. It should also yield some additional positive benefits, including:
- Allowing officers to conduct more activities outside the patrol vehicle, increasing personal contact with citizens, provided current crime rates do not rise sharply and require more vehicle patrols
- Employees gain better understanding of the monetary needs of the agency, and will be working within a set budget in terms of fuel
- This budgeting process will develop problem solving skills as employees work through ways to keep the service level high, while using less of a finite resource
- As one of the stated goals of the department's Assigned Vehicle Program, more employees may be encouraged to live in or closer to Dalton
"I believe this policy dovetails well with the measures we have already taken in terms of efforts to save fuel," said Chief Parker, "and is the next logical step in a proactive approach to control costs while still providing excellent service."
Exceptions will be made in the policy to allow for extra fuel used for travel to training sites or other operational needs. The department cannot always control the demand for police services, and there will be times when operational necessity dictates that more fuel and resources need to be allotted for employees. This new policy allows for that on a case-by-case basis. And, the department will be monitoring the new program closely to be sure the targets established are realistic, and will make adjustments when necessary.
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