Gasoline prices that continue to soar have forced Greencastle police officials to rethink a policy that allowed officers to drive their vehicles while not on duty.
Last March, the Greencastle Board of Works approved a plan allowing GPD officers to drive their patrol cars anywhere in Putnam and surrounding counties, regardless of whether they were on duty. But that has recently changed with the rise in fuel costs.
Police Chief Tom Sutherlin told the Board of Works Wednesday that gasoline expenditures have almost doubled since this time last year and that he has already scaled back the take-home vehicle policy.
Officers are no longer to drive their patrol vehicles outside the county, unless they are on duty or are on their way to training outside the county.
According to a chart presented by the chief Wednesday, fuel costs for the period of January through April were more than $22,000. The police department spent just more than $13,000 for fuel during the same period in 2007 (prior to the take-home policy being in place).
The chief and Board of Works members agreed the plan was costing too much money, but they also agreed that allowing officers to drive their patrol cars off duty is a deterrent to crime and it increases response times for officers called to duty at a moments notice.
Sutherlin told the council that if fuel costs continue to be a problem, he may restrict officers to drive their vehicle off-duty only within the city limits.