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Chief James Farley says the policy would cut crime and, while costly up front, save money in the long run.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 7, 2001
CRYSTAL RIVER -- There will be 16 squad cars nestled among the SUVs and Japanese imports lining the driveways of Crystal River residents if Police Chief James Farley gets his way.
Farley has submitted a proposal to the Crystal River City Council to give take-home squad cars to the department's patrol officers. The 16 officers currently share seven cars, trading off at the police department between shifts.
Farley said giving each officer a personal vehicle would be a morale booster and could save the city money in the long run on maintenance and repair. But he admits the price may gave some council members an initial case of sticker shock: An estimated $243,000 for nine new cars.
"Sure, you're going to have to front some big money now," Farley said. "But looking down the way, you're going to be saving money in the future."
The proposal will be discussed at a City Council budget workshop Thursday.
Mayor Ron Kitchen said he didn't want to comment on the idea before the workshop, but said the bottom line will be whether the city can find the money to pay for the additional cars.
"I don't want to say yes or no at this point," he said. "I think we need to measure it against the rest of council's priorities."
Five members of the department currently have take-home vehicles, including Farley, the assistant chief, and three detectives. Farley said his car was a part of his employment contract. The others need vehicles because they may be called away from home to get to the scene of a crime in the middle of the night, he said.
Farley drives a Ford Explorer. Lt. Gordon Rowland and one of the detectives drive unmarked Ford Crown Victorias. Another detective uses a Jeep Cherokee and the third uses a Ford Mustang, which blends in when the officer does undercover narcotics investigations, Farley said.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office allows its deputies to drive home patrol cars. The Inverness Police Department does not.
Farley said criminals might think twice before breaking into a home or vandalizing a mailbox if they see a squad car parked in a nearby driveway.
"The number of crimes not committed because of increased presence is impossible to measure, so no statistical database exists," he wrote in a report to the council. "We do know, however, that criminals often admit they changed their minds about committing a crime because they spotted a patrol car in the area."
The new policy also would be a help in an emergency, such as a hurricane, Farley said. Officers could be dispatched directly from their homes, which would cut down on response time.
The move would be a big morale booster and officers would be more likely to take better care of the vehicles, he said. It would also cut down on wear and tear: Farley estimates it would extend the life of an average patrol car from two years to nearly seven.
If the city balks at the idea of buying all nine cars at once, Farley has put forward an alternate plan, which would gradually phase in the project. All officers would have a take-home vehicle by 2006.
But Farley said he prefers to act sooner rather than later.
"With the first option, we're talking about buying cars with today's dollars. Who knows how much the cars are going to cost by 2006?" he said.