Should the city police have take home cars?

I believe that as long as they live within 5 miles of the city they should be able to drive there cars home. It is good show of force. We need to start calling the mayors office and requesting him to allow them to take the cars home. Our crime rate has been increasing more and more ever since they took the cars away. If someone takes advantage of the situation that deal with that one person not the department as a whole. This only hurts the public. We pay for the cars with our tax money so we should have a voice in this.

Time wrote:

I believe that as long as they live within 5 miles of the city they should be able to drive there cars home. It is good show of force. We need to start calling the mayors office and requesting him to allow them to take the cars home. Our crime rate has been increasing more and more ever since they took the cars away. If someone takes advantage of the situation that deal with that one person not the department as a whole. This only hurts the public. We pay for the cars with our tax money so we should have a voice in this.

I agree.... They work hard for little money. Why shouldn't they get to take the care home and would be easier on them not having to move their stuff back and forth out of their cars.

I believe they should have them and that it would help the crime rates. I don't think that the only reason they should only have them is so they wont have problems with their stuff, that is stupid. But for the crime, YES.

I disagree! Were I live I have at least 5 cops in my neighborhood and we have so much drugs around us. It seems to me that they just don't give a hoot about it when they are off duty. I have complained but it does no good.

anybodysguest wrote:

I disagree! Were I live I have at least 5 cops in my neighborhood and we have so much drugs around us. It seems to me that they just don't give a hoot about it when they are off duty. I have complained but it does no good.

Why don't you get with some of the officer that live in the neighborhood and see if they are interested in doing something about it. drugs are a big problem but I do feel that it helps to have there car at home. Do you live in the city because if you do they don't have cars at there house and maybe they feel like they can't do anything. Lets say they saw something and made an arrest what would they do with the person while they are waiting on an officer? Plus there are times the city have to call in people to work for emergency situations. We the public have to what on them to drive from there house to the office go inside and check out the car then respond to the call. This include the detectives that are on call.

anybodysguest wrote:

I disagree! Were I live I have at least 5 cops in my neighborhood and we have so much drugs around us. It seems to me that they just don't give a hoot about it when they are off duty. I have complained but it does no good.

I do believe they should have their car back but for work ONLY. Now as for them being off work and not working Come ON they need a break also, BUT I do believe if they see a drug deal or told of one and NOT on duty call someone and hold those people till back up comes. Seem that a few time. NOT GOOD! But Yes they should have their cars back! But as long as the same Mayor is in there YOU CAN FORGET IT. I WISH DIFFERENT

Time wrote:

<quoted text>
Why don't you get with some of the officer that live in the neighborhood and see if they are interested in doing something about it. drugs are a big problem but I do feel that it helps to have there car at home. Do you live in the city because if you do they don't have cars at there house and maybe they feel like they can't do anything. Lets say they saw something and made an arrest what would they do with the person while they are waiting on an officer? Plus there are times the city have to call in people to work for emergency situations. We the public have to what on them to drive from there house to the office go inside and check out the car then respond to the call. This include the detectives that are on call.

They don't need a car when they are off sitting in the driveway. If they see something, they need to call the police station and get a marked unit with a uniformed officer to come take care of the problem. They don't need to be out there in the dark in plain clothes off duty when they have paid police on duty to handle calls. First it's dangerous. Second, they are off duty and by their own words they don't get paid enough. I can't think of many times in the last 15 years when there was such an emergency that all police officers had to be called to work in a moments notice. It just don't happen often enough for it to be used as an argument for take home cars. If things get that bad there are 5 deputies, 2 or more troopers, 3 NSU police officers to handle what happens until off duty officers can filter in.
If they take a car home the mileage should be logged and that should be included as part of their salary and taxed at the end of the year like in thge real world.

anybodysguest wrote:

I disagree! Were I live I have at least 5 cops in my neighborhood and we have so much drugs around us. It seems to me that they just don't give a hoot about it when they are off duty. I have complained but it does no good.

I bet if they had those cruisers back in their driveways, the malefactors would be more worried and the policeman would have a little incentive to "give a hoot".

No way. Buy your own car and pay for your own gas.

I can't help but chime in here. I believe the citizens of the City of Natchitoches are paying a tax that allows for take home patrol cars. If I am not terribly mistaken that tax went on the ballot and in it's reading stated some of the money would allow for this.

When I hear some of these folks complain about having to pay taxes, I should think they would atleast want to get thier monies worth.

If having a car in the driveway you can't drive makes them give a hoot they need to find another job.
How did the patrol car help stop the crime when somebody broke into an off duty deputies car in his driveway and stole his guns? IN HIS DRIVEWAY>>>>A PAROL CAR>>>>DIDN"T STOP THAT CRIMINAL

oh lord

For the salary they make they shoud get to bring the cars home.

I'd like to see the cars back in the neighborhoods; I think it is a deterrent to crime. I'm not naive enough to believe it will stop it, but it might help. Besides it looks ridiculous to pass by the police department and see a lot overflowing with cop cars!

oh no

Give me a department full of experience, high moral and a willingness to stay here in Natchitoches and make a difference over a pay raise and take home cars, ANY DAY. And I mean that, sincerely.

sos wrote:

If having a car in the driveway you can't drive makes them give a hoot they need to find another job.
How did the patrol car help stop the crime when somebody broke into an off duty deputies car in his driveway and stole his guns? IN HIS DRIVEWAY>>>>A PAROL CAR>>>>DIDN"T STOP THAT CRIMINAL

Just another cop hate......., i guess next time u get in trouble call a crackhead!!

Most of the points that have been raised have nothing to do with the real benefits of an Officer having a take home car. The real benefits are that the PD does not have to pay the Officers to load/unload the cars at the beginning and end of each shift, does not have to pay the Officers to drive from the station to district and then back again (as the Officer reports directly to district), does not have to pay someone to ferry cars around for maintenance (as the Officer normally does this on his/her own time), the cars last longer 2-3 years as a pool car... 5-7 years as assigned to an individual, the cars are kept cleaner and maintenance accountability is easier to track. Also, Officers can be called in from Off-duty status in emergency situations without having to drive to the station, load the car, and then respond to the incident - they just put on their uniform and drive strait there. The car being in the Officer's driveway is really not much of an argument for/against.

In addition, regarding mileage: Most studies I have read show that the PD will break even on the gas/mileage of the commute. This is because the car will have to be driven from the park location to the work area... regardless, of whether the park location is the station or the Officer's residence. At least with the car parked at the Officer's residence he/she is "on-duty" once they are on the way to work and can respond to calls immediately. That benefit is nor reaped when they have to drive to the station first. In most studies this equates to about 4-6 hours of work/month/Officer at no cost to the PD.

The ONLY documented detriment to a PD/SO for having take home cars is the initial cost of purchasing extra cars. If this is already in place then that is no longer a valid concern. That cost only has to be absorbed once. Additional costs would be that each time the PD adds an Officer - they must add a vehicle. But, that cost is more than off-set by the operational savings in maintenance over time.

Rezq wrote:

I can't help but chime in here. I believe the citizens of the City of Natchitoches are paying a tax that allows for take home patrol cars. If I am not terribly mistaken that tax went on the ballot and in it's reading stated some of the money would allow for this.
When I hear some of these folks complain about having to pay taxes, I should think they would atleast want to get thier monies worth.

What an idiotic line of reasoning!!!!!!!!!!