Gas taking toll on law enforcement budgets

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Record high gas prices have hurt businesses, raised food prices and stretched out family budgets.

And now, those prices are responsible for headaches among law enforcement budget managers.

"It's a major issue for us. It's a major expense for us, but it's something that we have no control over," said Alpena Deputy Police Chief Kim Miller.

The spike in gas prices has prompted police departments to take a close look at their consumption rates and determine if and where they can reduce usage.

Miller said the department has discussed doing more stationary patrol, with the police vehicle monitoring areas with frequent accidents or violations.

He also said bike patrols already have been increased this year, and the department is trying to make sure vehicles aren't idling if they don't need to be.

Despite those efforts, Miller said patroling is a necessary function of the department and can't be eliminated.

"We're going to balance (reduced consumption) out with what one of our core functions is," he said.

The city's budget runs from July 1-June 30. Therefore in April and May of 2007, gas prices had to be predicted for June 2008. Miller said $4 per gallon prices weren't expected.

The Alpena County Sheriff Department had $20,500 budgeted for fuel this year. At the end of May, the department should have spent 40 percent of that money, but had actually used 57.49 percent.

Sheriff Steven Kieliszewski said the department has discussed measures to cut gas usage but no action has been taken yet.

A possibility is leaving one car at the station and having two deputies patrol in one car during the afternoon shift, Kieliszewski said.

Because that takes a car off the road, he said it isn't an ideal solution.

"The problem I have with that is it's limiting my response time," he said.

Kieliszewski said officials also are looking to do more stationary patrols, but he said even by doing so, gas will still be used. The cars likely will stay on, or if they are turned off the batteries will stay on so the vehicle's electronics stay on. Though it is a minor concern, Kieliszewski said it may lead to batteries dying in the cars.

The sheriff department will travel 15-100 miles to pick up people with a warrant out for their arrest, depending on the nature of the offense. That could change to save on gas, Kieliszewski said.

Another option is to use money from other line items in the department's budget to buy gas. The department could also ask the county for more money to spend on gas.

"And that's not going to be popular," Kieliszewski said.

Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.