With gas prices reaching record heights, Gainesville law enforcement agencies are reacting to skyrocketing expenditures with moderation and responsible cost cutting.
Though police departments around the country are responding to rising gas prices by decreasing patrol time or cutting cruiser take-home programs, according to a June USA Today article, local agencies refuse to make changes that will jeopardize the effectiveness of their law enforcement and assurance of community safety.
"Citizens expect us to respond no matter what the financial repercussions are," said Lt. Stephen Maynard, spokesman for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Those financial repercussions amount to a $30,000 spike from January to May in ASO gas expenditures, an increase from $75,000 to $105,000, according to Jennifer Hagstrom, chief of the ASO Technology Support Bureau.
The Gainesville Police Department anticipates spending $1 million on gas this year -twice the amount initially budgeted, said Lt. Keith Kameg of the GPD Fiscal Unit.
To offset increased costs, both the police department and the sheriff's office are reallocating funds into the gas budget so the agencies can avoid requesting additional funds from the city or county.
The police department has regulated spending by cutting travel training funds, saving on salaries by not offering several planned job openings and freezing nondiscretionary spending, Kameg said.
Police and sheriff's office officials said their departments are encouraging officers to conserve gas by shutting off engines instead of idling when cruisers are not in use.
Kameg said the police department plans to meet with other city agencies to discuss bulk oil purchasing while the department has begun auditing fuel usage and buying patrol cars with better mileage.
Both agencies intend to continue to uphold the Indianapolis Plan, which allows off-duty officers to take patrol cars home and boosts police presence in their communities.
Kameg said although the program has been criticized, it tends to prolong the life of cruisers because officers take a greater responsibility for them.
The sheriff's office modified the Indianapolis Plan to only authorize officers to make stops en route to work or home instead of whenever and wherever they want.
Alongside recent changes by local law enforcement, the University Police Department is also conserving.
UPD spokesman Robert Wagner said their efforts to save fuel did not stem from rising gas prices but have been developing for the last couple years in response to campus sustainability goals.
Officers have been expected to walk part of their beats for the last 18 years, Wagner said.
University Police have recently made slight increases in foot, bicycle and motorcycle patrols, he said.
Motorcycles allow for easier traffic stops than bicycles and are seen as more approachable by the public than cars.
Wagner said the department has purchased hybrid cars when possible for the past few years.
"We've been on the cutting edge for many, many years," he said.
