Take Home Squad Cars

Some discussion at a recent work session of the City Council touched on various ways to trim over budget expenditures within the Police Department. One suggestion was to rein in the use of take-home squad cars. On the surface it just seems logical that such use has a cost and that cost may be a worthwhile place to look for savings. Police representatives counter that it takes more time and money to unload one officer's gear from the squad car getting it ready for the next user, and more importantly, it wastes valuable time in case of an emergency.

Another value in police take-home cars is the deterrent effect of a police car parked in neighborhoods around the city. To some extent, a cop is never off-duty and even if he's in his basement lair watching old episodes of Dragnet, the car is still holding hooligans at bay.

Any and all of the above may be true. One issue involving the use of take-home cars that does not get sufficient consideration is limiting take-home cars to those who actually live in the City of New Albany. If such a car is a perk, give that perk to those officers who live in this city. If take home cars are a deterrent, focus that deterrent in the City they are sworn to protect and defend. If there is a tactical benefit in keeping cars equipped, thereby increasing response time, how better to increase response time than ensuring that those officers with take-home cars live within the City, in close proximity to the area they serve?

State law dictates that residency requirements are not allowed. The Police Department cannot limit employment to city residents. But a policy based on the efficient use of scarce resources could allow officers to make their own choices of where they wish to live if they see value in a take-home squad car. If the City is paying for the car it should derive the benefits of that car. By limiting the use of take-home cars to residents of the City, the Police Department can help to incentivize well-paid officers to contribute more than their employment time to the City's well-being, building stronger safer neighborhoods within the City they are sworn to serve and protect.

Hands Across the Water

A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO TOLLS ON THE KENNEDY,
CLARK MEMORIAL, AND SHERMAN MINTON BRIDGES AND/OR THE
INTERSTATE CONNECTORS (I-64, I-65, AND I-71) A/K/A “SPAGHETTI
JUNCTION,” AND SUPPORTING MORE CROSS - RIVER
CONNECTIONS.



Sponsored By: Council Members Tina Ward-Pugh, Jim King, Tom Owen,

Hal Heiner, Vicki Welch, Brent Ackerson, Deonte Hollowell, Barbara Shanklin,

Rick Blackwell, Marianne Butler, Bob Henderson, Robin Engel, Stuart Benson,
Kenneth C. Fleming, Mary Woolridge, Kelly Downard, Cheri Bryant Hamilton



WHEREAS, the issues surrounding the Ohio River Bridges Project (ORBP) have
a real and direct impact on the citizens, economy and cultural well-being of our
community; and

WHEREAS, a financing plan that could result in the imposition of tolls on new
and existing Ohio River bridges and/ or tolls on the Interstate connectors (I-64, I-65, and
I-71) a/k/a “Spaghetti Junction” is currently under consideration, and has raised valid
concerns from the citizens of this community; and

WHEREAS, the Ohio River should serve as the center of unity and commerce,
not as a barrier dividing the metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, the three bridges (Sherman Minton, Clark Memorial and Kennedy)
connecting Kentucky and Indiana are essential links in the growth and economic
development of the community; and

WHEREAS, the ORBP is essential to interstate commerce in the Eastern United
States and should include sufficient Federal funding to avoid shifting the burden of its
cost to local daily commuters; and




WHEREAS, it is fundamentally wrong to begin tolling the existing transportation
infrastructure currently used by hard-working citizens whose livelihood depends on
their daily commute to their jobs in Kentucky and Indiana; and

WHEREAS, the imposition of tolls on existing transportation infrastructure may
threaten businesses and working families of this community.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE
LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT (THE COUNCIL) AS
FOLLOWS:



SECTION I: The Louisville Metro Council, by this Resolution, states that it is opposed
to tolls on the Kennedy Bridge, Clark Memorial Bridge, Sherman Minton Bridge and/or
“Spaghetti Junction,” while still supporting more cross - river connections; and
further states that the best policy for the economic well-being of the region is for the
ORBP to be built without tolls on existing facilities and in affordable phases
commencing with the connection of I-265 between Jefferson County, Kentucky and
Clark County, Indiana..

SECTION II: Notwithstanding the Council’s belief that existing transportation



infrastructure should not be tolled to pay the cost of construction of the ORBP, it is



recognized that circumstances related to the orientation of the new downtown bridge



relative to the existing downtown Kennedy Bridge, e.g., the functional pairing of the two



bridges, could require the tolling of the existing Kennedy Bridge to provide appropriate



parity between the use of the two bridges. In that case, the Council believes any tolls



applied to the Kennedy Bridge should only be implemented when that phase is built and



then only in an amount necessary to recover the cost of the new downtown bridge, less



available federal funding.




SECTION III: This Resolution shall take effect upon its passage and approval.





_______________________________

Kathleen J. Herron

Metro Council Clerk

_____________________________

Thomas L. Owen

President of the Council









_______________________________

Jerry E. Abramson

Mayor



_____________________________

Approval Date





APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:



Michael J. O’Connell

Jefferson County Attorney







BY: ____________________________

G:ResOpposingTollsonOhioRiverBridgesTW-P/ROC/acb09.01.10

G:ResOpposingTolls on ORBP Dr-2 TW-P/ROC/acb09.03.10