If you’ve been following this drama of the Fraternal Order of Police and its resistance to giving up anything in its contract in response to the city’s financial crunch, you know the debate over take-home cars for cops.
The FOP’s argument is that the take-home cars represent a safety issue in neighborhoods. The union maintains that the presence of take-home cars in neighborhoods, parked in front of the homes of officers, act as a deterrent to criminal activity. And the FOP threatened to give its cars back if officers were forced to pay more for the privilege, which was one of the options it rejected last week. The union is supposed to have a new response ready for the Mayor tomorrow.
Last week, WLKY-TV did a two-part series examining the impact of the take-home cars on neighborhoods. It found some evidence that take-home cars reduce crime in areas where the cars are parked, but it’s not too convincing.
This morning, WHAS Radio discovered a giant hole in the take-home car argument presented by the FOP, something I think a lot of folks don’t realize. The truth is that about half of the force’s take-home cars are unmarked vehicles, regular-looking Chevys and Fords.
Of course, FOP rep John McGuire says the unmarked cars are a deterrent too, though that defies logic if the premise of his argument is that their visibility is in itself a deterrent.
The police force has 1,094 cars, and 542 of them are unmarked.
27 responses so far ↓
1 btucker // Dec 1, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I think it is important to remember that when an officer has a take home car, that officer is obliged to monitor the radio, stop for traffic incidents and answer emergency calls.
2 John // Dec 1, 2008 at 1:43 pm
On my block, there is a cop who drives an unmarked Dodge Durango. On a recent weekend, I saw this officer’s spouse loading it up hunting gear before driving away alone.
3 btucker // Dec 1, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Sure you did….
4 ReformedPatriot - aka Mark // Dec 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Fire all the city cops and hire a private agency.
I see non-uniformed cops driving around marked cruisers with family replete with Baby seats to the mall near where I live all the time.
5 Family Member of an LMPD Officer // Dec 1, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I personally know a cop who uses their take home vehicle for personal use and for off duty jobs. I don’t think taxpayers should pay for that.
6 just saying... // Dec 1, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Two LMPD vehicles are at my gym at a regular basis. The two who drive them are two of the most out of shape people at the gym.
7 beentheredonethat // Dec 1, 2008 at 7:20 pm
To all of you except BTUCKER, who seems to really get it. I have a suggestion to all of you who have nothing better to do than bash the police and firemen, call downtown and ask if they still have the ride with a cop program and if they do, sign up for it for about 3 nights. I don’t know if the fire department has any such program, but you might call and see. Then maybe you’ll get a real look at what these underpaid employees do. You might see the low life scum who just beat his wife and kids half to death and then wants to fight the cop or the teenage kid doing his drug deal on the corner and takes off in his car at 90 miles an hour not giving a damn who he kills. I was married to a cop for 15 years and yes, he brought his car home, and yes, we went to the grocery in it, we went to church in it and we went out to eat in it and we never had a peaceful moment. We were either flagged down by someone with a broken down car, or someone locked their keys in the car or they lost their keys. If they saw us get out of the car at a restaurant, we were swamped with questions about if little Johnny rides his moped on the sidewalk would he be arrested, or how many miles can you go over the speed limit on the interstate before the cops will “really” give you a ticket or do you really lose your license for a year if you only have one DUI and I can’t count the times neighbors woke us up in the middle of the night because they thought someone was trying to get in their house or they thought they saw someone looking in Mrs. Smith’s window, but he helped with that broken down car, he helped get the locked keys out of the car, he helped look for the keys, he answered their questions, he checked their houses and he did it because it was his job and he loved it, on duty or off duty. He did it for $32,300 dollars a year plus any overtime he could get to feed us and our 3 kids and pay our house payment and car payment and groceries and light bill and water bill and clothes and insurance and day care so that I could work and help. If he were alive, he would still be doing it. So next time you see a cop in his car off duty wasting the city’s money, maybe going to the grocery or something and someone has just robbed you or stolen your car, or grabbed your purse, or maybe your husband or wife is having a heart attack and he might have a defib in his car do him a favor and go call someone else to help your sorry ass.
8 jlm // Dec 1, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Well, I guess that’s straight from someone who has lived it. God Bless you dear.
9 MeveStagruder // Dec 1, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Listen, we are all underpaid, that complaint is getting a little worn out. Times are tough for everyone. My employer has put in place many, many cuts and we did not even get the option to reject them. Im sure there are benefits of taking home cars but that is something that can be cut in a time when many things MUST be cut. No one is trying to say police officers don’t deserve it, its just something that has to be done. Lots of people are giving up things right now.
10 Sirico // Dec 1, 2008 at 10:11 pm
beentheredonethat
-OLE’ !!!!!
11 btucker // Dec 1, 2008 at 10:22 pm
“Lots of people are giving up things right now”
Yes, and it only stops when one of you say NO.
12 MeveStagruder // Dec 1, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Well, say no and enjoy being unemployed.
13 Steve Bittenbender // Dec 1, 2008 at 11:17 pm
A friend asked me this question earlier today and I didn’t have an answer. So, I’ll ask it here:
How many other peer cities allow cops to take home vehicles, and how are their crime stats in comparison to ours?
I’ll hang up and listen to the answer. Thanks.
14 btucker // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:02 am
It’s only a job…why be afraid of it? A little dignity on the job never killed anyone.
15 btucker // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:06 am
Nashville has a take-home car policy. I found the following on a police message board:
Take home cars are not automatic. Metro does have a take home car policy, but whether you get one depends on many things.
“Each precinct has a certain amount of cars allotted. Each commander can make changes to the way the vehicle are deployed. Some commanders make more “share” cars. A share car stays at the station is usually driven by 2 people on different shifts. Then there are “extra” cars. Extra cars are driven by anyone who needs a car. The keys are located at that particular station. Then they have “assigned - take home” cars. The policy says your eligible if you live inside Davidson county. Davidson county is 580 some odd square miles, so its a pretty open policy.”
I only mention Nashville because today we found out that the city, twice as big as Louisville, has a rainy-day fund of $15 million dollars compared to our $62 million the mayor refuses to use.
Bottom line is, you never know if your going to get a car. I know some guys who got a car the first day they were cut loose from FTO. I know some guys who spent a year or more before they got a car. There are a lot of variables.”
16 btucker // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:06 am
http://www.government-fleet.com/News/Story/2008/08/Nashville-Metro-Police-to-Cut-Fleet.aspx
17 Steve Bittenbender // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:18 am
Nashville’s twice as big as Louisville?
How so?
18 Ed Springston // Dec 2, 2008 at 3:25 am
Steve Louisville is 372 square miles so Nashville isn’t exactly twice as big but it is roughly 75% bigger based on square miles.
beentheredonethat-well said!
19 ReformedPatriot - aka Mark // Dec 2, 2008 at 4:17 am
“I have a suggestion to all of you who have nothing better to do than bash the police and firemen, call downtown and ask if they still have the ride with a cop program and if they do, sign up for it for about 3 nights.”
I was an Auxiliary Sheriff’s deputy for two years in northeast Ohio. Over 1,300 volunteer hours (750+ on road patrol). Been there done that, I still say fire them and privatize the agency. But I’m a radical I guess. And the “it’s a dangerous job; their heroes” rap is lame and doesn’t justify them wasting the money they steal from me in taxes anyway.
And please, for the sake of Pete, learn how to break up rants into paragraphs. My attention span was strained.
20 Carter Burger // Dec 2, 2008 at 8:32 am
beentheredonethat…..isn’t that his J O B. You are ranting about things that were part of your husband’s job. And here’s a thought, if you didn’t want to be bothered while off duty, then don’t drive a marked car. All those things still do not justify them using city property for personal gain all for only $20 a month when there is a budget shortfall.
21 we all need take home cars // Dec 2, 2008 at 11:41 am
Just my 2 cents!! I will never bash on police or firemen they are unspoken hero’s of our community, but as far as take home cars I think that is totally crazy, I know I see jtown police cars on weekends all over town taking kids to ballgames and so on, on tax payers expense. Now how can you justify giving police take home cars and not every firefighter? They are both hazardous pay jobs. I will get kicked for saying this but I think we could keep the number of police on the streets and put money back in the bank if we went back to the days where 2 officers patrolled in 1 car, if I am not mistaking 2 cars has to repsond to every run for back up why not eliminate the cost of the cars and fuel and go back to 2 officers per unit?. just a suggestion let the bashing begin lol
beaver cleaver
22 beentheredonethat // Dec 2, 2008 at 4:42 pm
To Mark I hope this doesn’t strain your brain too much which is probably why you were an Auxiliary Sheriff and couldn’t get on with the big boys, and I’ll do this all in one paragraph so try to follow along. To all who don’t know what an Auxiliary Sheriff’s duties are, they are as follows:
Perform non-emergency duties which keep sworn deputies on the street available to handle serious calls. Do non-confrontational patrol such as traffic directing and control. To assist neighborhood watch programs and also to check on homes and businesses. So you didn’t see too much danger to be able to call them lame. Now (and still in the same paragraph) for Carter Burger. I believe I mentioned that it was his JOB and he loved it. No we didn’t have to take the patrol car out, but we were encouraged to as a crime deterrent by his superiors. He carried a gun with him everywhere we went also as most police are required to do. I can only hope that in the short time he lived, that maybe somewhere along the line someone looked at that police car in a parking lot and thought maybe they should move on and not break into that car with all the packages in plain view, or mug that old lady coming out of the grocery in case THAT COP walks out. But know this, he was encouraged by his superiors to drive the car and he did. Wouldn’t you?
23 newtothissite // Dec 2, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Well, I just sat down to read this and all I can say to this lady is “go girl.”
24 justathought // Dec 2, 2008 at 7:28 pm
If my boss gave me a take home car to use for personal or business I would jump on it. Not my problem. Apparently it’s part of the package. I don’t blame the police officers.
25 T // Dec 4, 2008 at 8:12 am
i recently saw this posted elsewhere - some very valid points:
This email is not intended to ‘slam’ the Mayor, Chief of Police, or City Council Members. It is only to inform you, in the opinion of many, some ways the citizens of Louisville will be impacted if Officers stop driving their patrol cars home and/or off duty.
1. INCREASED PRESENCE/ DECREASED CRIME – All major studies conducted in the U.S. and abroad have shown that an increased visibility of Police in the community decreases/displaces crime; especially thefts and burglaries. Officers going to and coming from work, court, off duty, or just the grocery store greatly increases Police presence. There is no substitute for this presence without hiring at least twice the officers this department now employs. Doubling the department’s size would cripple the current tax base and therefore be impossible to fund.
2. BETTER SERVICE AT NO EXPENSE – Countless people are helped everyday by LMPD Officers who are off duty and not getting paid for their services. Officers work traffic collisions, change tires, help stranded motorists, make emergency calls for service, answer questions, give directions, etc. just because they are there. This came with the car. Not to mention the many arrests that are made by off-duty Officers who were in the right place at the right time: they witnessed that DUI, or heard that robbery come out on the radio and caught the suspect or could at least give a description. What would the price tag be if these Officers billed the city for overtime everyday? These Officers would not have been able to help anyone without that ‘take-home car’.
3. NO TAKE HOME CARS = LESS TIME ON THE STREET AND SLOWER RESPONSE TIMES FOR EMERGENCIES – If Officers have to go to work and get whatever car is available to them, it will take approximately 25-30 minutes per night to onload/offload all their gear every shift to and from that vehicle and to do safety/operational/function checks. If the car is assigned to them – they already have their gear and know it works. Loading and unloading duty gear, riot gear, computers, weapons, manuals, safety equipment, tools, etc. takes time. We stand to lose approximately 160 man hours in the department per day between all the patrol shifts and specialized units just by Officers not keeping their cars. The cost to the tax payer would be $3,520.00 per day and $1,284,800.00 annually in lost time on the street if the officer only made $22 an hour. This is significant to say the least, and there’s no telling how long it would take SWAT and Hostage Negotiation to make a ‘call out’ if they had to drive across town, find a car, load their gear, then go to the scene in an emergency situation.
There are many more reasons why Officers in Louisville should take their cars home, but these three may just be the most important. Most Officers who work ‘off-duty’ jobs would agree that paying something similar to $50.00 a month to reimburse the taxpayers for gasoline is fair, because most off-duty work does not involve a lot of driving around and therefore does not consume very much gasoline. For those Officers with families, $150.00 to $210.00 per month just to take a car home is unfeasible. Most Officers would not be able to make their house payment or feed their children. Most Officers fall into this category, and that’s why the citizens of Louisville will see a drastic decrease in Police presence in the near future.
Thank you for listening,
T
26 jlm // Dec 4, 2008 at 8:44 am
Well said T.
27 hank // Dec 18, 2008 at 3:26 am
In reality, police officers are on duty 24-7. As a cop, there is a specific heightened sense of awareness and great responsibility. This is often never understood until you or someone very close to you is a cop. You are ALWAYS responsible to handle ANYTHING that is going on around you. That is an awesome task. You ALWAYS have a gun on your hip, on your leg or in your purse (maybe a combination of all three). When you drive that car, on duty or off, uniform or not, kids or no kids you are at WORK. A police car is NOT a luxury vehicle (have you ever rode in one??). To all of you complaining of officers using their cars to go to the grocery, the mall, kids ball games, etc… Think about all the crazy things that go on in our world. The store robberies, the mall shootings, violent fights at kids ball games…these events are not rare. Perhaps, having that police car in St. Matthews Mall’s parking lot the other day prevented another mall shooting. Or maybe when the cop was eating the other night at Applebees, a couple guys planning to rob the restaurant went the other way.
Anyway…like the post above said..go on a couple ride-alongs. See how many times a night the officer gets cussed, spit on, fought with all with a smile on their face. Its the best job in the world, nothing could be more rewarding. If you support us or not, we’ll be there when you need us…maybe when you least expect it.
Leave a Comment