DEL.ICIO.USALPHARETTA
Police to pay fee for off-duty use of cars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Alpharetta is requiring its police officers to pony up for use of equipment and fuel during off-duty jobs. At least one officer has argued it amounts to a new tax on law enforcement.
As of Saturday, police officers with take-home patrol cars will be required to remit 10 percent of their pay from “extra-duty jobs,” said James Drinkard, assistant city administrator.
“We are trying to get fuel costs under control,” Drinkard said. “These officers are certified, using an Alpharetta badge, a city vehicle, and city fuel. Why should the citizens pay for the fuel they use while working extra jobs?”
Detective Corey Miller, filed a grievance protesting the policy to Public Safety Director Gary George.
In his complaint, Miller wrote that the city is essentially taxing public safety employees.
“There is a question that such a fee could be perceived that the city is doing indirectly what it cannot do directly under law,” he wrote. “By taxing off-duty employment, especially through payroll deduction, the city is indirectly receiving funds from a private person, firm or corporation. …”
Miller could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
George dismissed the complaint, and Drinkard rejected the appeal.
George said he received several complaints from residents about idling off-duty police vehicles.
“You wouldn’t believe the complaints I was getting,” George said. “They call or e-mail and say, ‘I saw an officer at North Point Community Church. The car was in the intersection with the lights going and the motor running. Are my tax dollars going for that car?’ Now, we say ‘no,’ and they say ‘OK.’ “
Many officers supplement their income by providing security or traffic control to private businesses or organizations.
The department allows officers to take home cars under the theory that it heightens police profile and discourages crime.
That also holds true of extra jobs, said Dennis Hammock, regional director for the Fraternal Order of Police.
“The public still benefits,” Hammock said. “It deters crime. They shouldn’t assess it all, but if they do, it should only be mileage to and from the job location.”
The cities of Suwanee and Holly Springs assess similar fees, and Gwinnett and Cherokee counties are considering them, according to an internal Alpharetta police memo.
Officers generally earn $25 an hour on off-duty jobs, the memo said. Drinkard said the money will go directly into the city General Fund.
Initially, Alpharetta officials contemplated charging officers a per-mile fee for use of vehicles outside city business, which would have applied to driving cars to and from work, Drinkard said. Police captains suggested the flat 10 percent because it would have less impact on the officers and be easy to track.
The idea has merit, though it no doubt rankles the police officers, said Frank Rotondo, executive director of the Georgia Chiefs of Police Association.
“It’s a benefit to have take-home cars. I’m sure the officers don’t like the policy,” Rotondo said.
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Comments
By harry taylor
Mar 31, 2009 9:22 AM | Link to this
I am in my early 20s and make over 90,000 a year being a police officer. I have a 2,500 square foot house in a nice neighborhood, two brand new vehicles, a vacation home at the beach, and I buy whatever I want. How do I do it? I work security for private businesses. I use my take home car and sit in a parking lot with my department issued brand new laptop with mobile broadband internet and make 35 dollars an hour. People might complain, but guess what, my agency has 35 openings, PUT IN AN APPLICATION! As to the whole property tax thing, well I pay property tax as well and with my expensive house, probably a lot more than you pay!
By Neil
Mar 27, 2009 11:23 PM | Link to this
I support police, but why should police get to use taxpayer paid vehicles and fuel for personal use? Private companies that provide fringe benefits like company cars do so with their money. In these days of budget defecits and real cuts, giving cops the right to burn taxpayer fuel as the put mileage on taxpayer vehicles is just ridiculous and needs to be stopped.
Let them buy their own cars and fuel like the rest of us.
By Tim Ashley
Jan 5, 2009 12:07 PM | Link to this
I've been a cop for 24 years and a gym member for 32. It's true that some cops are in this profession for the wrong reasons, but the majority of the one's I know are hard working, under paid, normal people with a mortgage and a car payment and usually child support. There are several cops that come to my gym....I'd like you see you come in there and tell one you think they're candy asses. You'll find out quickly that cops are just regular people with regular emotions and above average *** kicking skills.
Hope to run into you sometime.......
Tim Ashley
Lawrenceville Police
By Jane Q Citizen
Oct 20, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
I'm just curious, from an accounting perspective....since this 10 percent is being assessed in order to "get fuel costs under control", why aren't the funds being set aside in a specific account to defer those exact costs, instead of being funneled into a "general fund"? Who has access and/or control of those funds? Are there guidelines that define the limits of use for those funds, instead of allowing it to become part of a "slush fund" that can be accessed by city officials for arbirary usage? Surely, there is some accountability as to how the assessed fees are collected and spent!?
By That's odd
Oct 18, 2008 12:36 AM | Link to this
Isn't it odd that the people bashing the police and the government have a difficult time doing so with proper grammer and spelling? Hmm....
By mark
Oct 17, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
Cops underpaid, maybe??? Most of the ones I know would work for "FREE" if they got to keep thire GUNS and BADGES. Its a power thing for most. It seems to make up for the fact that most are just candy-ass little kids, at least the ones that come into our GYM,(FOR FREE).....
By GreenOne
Oct 16, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
Hey LOL, I think I was behind you yesterday on Holcomb Bridge. Your crown vic smells like $hit and you should really go get an emissions test. I almost suffocated due to your noxious gases spewing out of your car. Maybe Alpharetta should start ticketing people for having stinky cars.
By Po Po's wife
Oct 16, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
LOL did you ever think that the cops living next to you "your whole life" could have helped you, but chose not to because you were a lousy neighbor.
Go ahead take away the take home car (the only perk these guys have) but then you had better be ready to anti up about a 10-12 % payraise to get these cops up to speed with the rest of the country's pay scale for public safety...and that means icreases in property taxes.
By Gov.watchdog
Oct 16, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Fact the take come system will save the city,county,state etc on average 45-55 percent more per year that "hotseating" cars. That is a fact from the GA CHIEFS OF POLICE and International CHIEFS of POLICE not some police union,
Fact: The reason more police departments issue take home cars is because the pay is so low yet (not in Atlanta City) the requirnments are so high. You need a BA degree or many mnay years on the job to get hired in the smaller suburban departments. In order to attract those people you need to compinsate them.
FACT: the avergae police car when used as a take home lasts 10 plus years, cars that rotate shift,hotseating, last about 2 or three years. In others words the tax payer save a lot of money.
The officer who filed the complaint did not say that he should get a free ride he just asked that the new policy make legal sense. Read the article, they came up with many other ways to cover the cost of the "fuel".
But the PC way was to take it from the guy?
By lol
Oct 16, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this
mongo:
such vehicles idle (including most utility vehicles) because all the equipment that requires constant power. it is just impractictal and downright frustrating at times to shut them off.
often they are just cranked at the beginning of the shift/job and kept on till the end.
so no need to choke people for idling. theres really a legitimate need for that to be....
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