Chief wants officers to be able to take cars home

The Brooksville City Council will decide on his request during its meeting on Monday.

By JOEL ANDERSON, Times Staff Writer
Published January 5, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The Brooksville City Council will consider a take-home car program for police officers at its meeting Monday night, a perk Chief George Turner touts as cost-effective, a recruiting tool for prospective officers and a way to increase the department's visibility in the community.

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here," Turner said Friday. "It's a great program all around. I don't see any cons for it. Hopefully, the council will agree."

The proposal calls for the Police Department to disburse 19 marked patrol cars - most of them Ford Crown Victorias but a few Dodge Chargers - among the officers and supervisors who live within a 10-mile radius of Brooksville. The officers would be responsible for the vehicles, including making sure the cars get scheduled maintenance.

City officials are encouraging the council to approve the policy, noting in a memo that "most of the benefits that we have outlined have been shown time-and-time again in study after study across the United States."

Turner said the program shouldn't cost the city more money because the department already has the cars available in its fleet. Currently, Brooksville officers use about three cruisers that are rotated between shifts.

Turner also said the program would probably add about 30 to 45 minutes of patrol time per officer per shift because "as soon as they hit city line, they're on duty. They don't have to come here, congregate and gather up their equipment."

Though officers would be permitted to take the cars to and from home, Turner said they would not be allowed to use them for errands or other personal tasks.

Turner said the council proposal would mirror those of other departments, including the Longboat Key Police Department where he was formerly a captain. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office also has a take-home car policy, which was revised in November 2005 to establish new rules for off-duty use.

"Our Mobile Response Program has enhanced visibility of patrol vehicles on the roadway and in neighborhoods adding to the security and well being of the citizens of Hernando County," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Black said.

"Additionally, on numerous occasions off-duty deputies have responded to priority calls for service, backed up on-duty deputies and assisted motorists. These incidents alone have proven the worth of the program by rendering aid expediently to the citizens without a commensurate increase in manpower."

Turner points to the sheriff's program as yet another reason to implement a similar plan in Brooksville: It would help with the recruitment ofprospective officers.

"It's a great recruiting tool for us to get quality candidates," Turner said. "Since the Sheriff's Office and many other agencies in the area have some take-home policies, it will be hard for us to compete if we don't have that."

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or 754-6120.

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 20:09:47]