Rising gas price affecting your department?

[Jaguar57]

Just curious to know how the recent increase in gas prices have affected your department for street/highway patrols. Any conservation measures implemented? Limit your speeds.. Sit idle (engine off) for a certain period of time...?

I understand that some cities/agencies pre-purchase gas at cheaper prices which helps even out the price fluctuations which might ease any department restrictions. Or do they?

Thanks.

[SgtScott31]

No idling (which is nothing new), and Sgts who are on patrol are able to get back on bikes if they are trained and still have gear...

[SlowDownThere]

While the rising prices may have an impact on the agency's budget, the state is actually benefiting. In NYS, the state tax on gasoline is a percentage of the sale, not a flat cents/gallon tax. So, the higher the price, the more tax revenue there is.

While it does cost the state more to buy gasoline, the state uses a very small percent of the total gasoline cosummed in the state. And so, on balance, they are coming out ahead.

[rpd1794]

They haven't asked us to change anything....yet. When we purchase fuel it's tax exempt so that helps, but I'm sure it will catch up eventually.

[Jaguar57]

Two to a patrol car..?

[Blueribbon]

No impact yet... However, last year when prices spiked we were told to "conserve" fuel (turn the car off when not actually in the process of driving), which is not new as the policy already states that.

[j706]

Nothing has came down from our brass on the subject. However I have been driving about half the miles I was and limit my idle time. I know if we don't we will get some sort of restrictions like loosing our take homes. Funny thing is just a few months ago they widened our take home use to surrounding counties. It is nice having a take home when fuel is 3 bucks plus.

[AZLawDawg]

nope, not at all

[tony.o]

While the rising prices may have an impact on the agency's budget, the state is actually benefiting. In NYS, the state tax on gasoline is a percentage of the sale, not a flat cents/gallon tax. So, the higher the price, the more tax revenue there is.

While it does cost the state more to buy gasoline, the state uses a very small percent of the total gasoline cosummed in the state. And so, on balance, they are coming out ahead.

What percentage is George Bush and Dick Cheney getting from the high gas prices?

[CODE-30]

I heard once that the amount of gas it takes to start up a vehicle equals out to be 15 minutes worth of idle time. Don't know how true it is though. Now wouldn't the depts like to know this if they don't want you to sit at idle?

[signal1]

I heard once that the amount of gas it takes to start up a vehicle equals out to be 15 minutes worth of idle time. Don't know how true it is though. Now wouldn't the depts like to know this if they don't want you to sit at idle?

Unfortunately not true. That may have been true before fuel injection. This is taken from www.consumerenergycenter.org.

The recommendation is: If you are going to be parked for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. And when you start your engine, don't step down on the accelerator, just simply turn the key to start (which you aren't suppose to do with fuel injected vehicles anyway).

[NY Troop]

Gas

Nothing new here, yet. I do recall in the nineties they tried to limit miles travelled and idle time. I wonder what changed that?

[PensFanCOP]

In one of my old departments we could only put 80 miles per shift. That may sound like a lot(maybe not lol) but by the time we would pick up or drop off the oncoming officer/ drive to get gas we would have about 30 miles left...our borough was 24 square miles...there was almost no patrol time just answer calls get gas and taxi officers. No fun to say the least.