City vehicle use policy scrutinized

[virgo]

Check out this article (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/NEWS01/709300318)about City of Hattiesburg-owned vehicles being used after work hours.

I have long wondered about this very topic. I am not here to criticize the police department by any means (as many of you know, I have many dear friends who are officers), but are those officers who live outside the city limits still being allowed to have take-home cars? That used to be the case and I always wondered how much money the city was paying in gas for these cars to (in some cases) be driven back and forth from the officer's home that was not in the city limits (and not even in Forrest or Lamar counties).
I guess this would not be limited to just police officers, but all employees who have take-home city vehicles. Are they allowed to take them out of city limits?

[hereiam]

I think Hattiesburg has grown too fast and with too little direction. We've got old policies or no policies in many area. There is no accountability for a lot of actions - partially because noone has a clue what is going on.

[Kitty]

In all organizations, policies need to be reviewed and revised periodically to ensure they remain relevant to current times/situations.

[BS BS BS]

Check out this article (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/NEWS01/709300318)about City of Hattiesburg-owned vehicles being used after work hours.

I have long wondered about this very topic. I am not here to criticize the police department by any means (as many of you know, I have many dear friends who are officers), but are those officers who live outside the city limits still being allowed to have take-home cars? That used to be the case and I always wondered how much money the city was paying in gas for these cars to (in some cases) be driven back and forth from the officer's home that was not in the city limits (and not even in Forrest or Lamar counties).
I guess this would not be limited to just police officers, but all employees who have take-home city vehicles. Are they allowed to take them out of city limits?

The only officers that are allowed to have a take home car outside the city limits are Detectives and NET, Traffic might be allowed to not really sure. The reason that Detectives are allowed to is because they are called out very often at night and on weekends. The NET team is allowed because they are subject to call in cases such as, shootings, gang related crimes, drug related crimes, etc.... But keep in mind that one of the requirements to work for HPD is that you live within 10 miles of city limits. If you are a patrol officer you have to live within the city limits and there are other criteria that you have to meet.
I can think of quite a few people at the PD that do not need a take home car. I.E. Civilians that never have to come out, but still have a take home car. I know that the head of dispatch and the civilian commander both have take home cars and it is neither warranted or necessary. I have never understood why they are allowed to do it.

[Maggie-Doodle]

The only officers that are allowed to have a take home car outside the city limits are Detectives and NET, Traffic might be allowed to not really sure. The reason that Detectives are allowed to is because they are called out very often at night and on weekends. The NET team is allowed because they are subject to call in cases such as, shootings, gang related crimes, drug related crimes, etc.... But keep in mind that one of the requirements to work for HPD is that you live within 10 miles of city limits. If you are a patrol officer you have to live within the city limits and there are other criteria that you have to meet.
I can think of quite a few people at the PD that do not need a take home car. I.E. Civilians that never have to come out, but still have a take home car. I know that the head of dispatch and the civilian commander both have take home cars and it is neither warranted or necessary. I have never understood why they are allowed to do it.


I agree, there is not but one civilian position that needs a take home vehicle and that would be the crime scene folks. NONE of the city council needs a vehicle to use around town..IF they have a conference to attend that is something else.

[Conveyor Belt]

I've often wondered about city vehicle use policy, both in Hattiesburg and Petal.

I know that mileage reimbursement rates usually run around $.31-$.45 a mile. That adds up quickly to a huge sum of money.

I think we should let Pepsi truck drivers and Coke truck drivers take their vehicles home, too. Afterall... it would be such an incovience if they had to take their kid to school in their regular car and THEN have to go get the work truck from home... oh, wait... the work truck is at WORK... what a concept!!!

[RGDoherty]

K-9 officers too, get to take their vehicles home.....they are set up for the dog.

[SouthChic]

...I can think of quite a few people at the PD that do not need a take home car. I.E. Civilians that never have to come out, but still have a take home car. I know that the head of dispatch and the civilian commander both have take home cars and it is neither warranted or necessary. I have never understood why they are allowed to do it.

My mom was the civilian commander at HPD, and I can remember many times she got called out after normal business hours to handle employee problems, computer problems, etc.. I remember several times she had to go in to work at night because of a new computer system that was being installed for the entire dept.

The civilian commander is a position in the Administration division, so I think the car comes with being in that position.

[BS BS BS]

My mom was the civilian commander at HPD, and I can remember many times she got called out after normal business hours to handle employee problems, computer problems, etc.. I remember several times she had to go in to work at night because of a new computer system that was being installed for the entire dept.

The civilian commander is a position in the Administration division, so I think the car comes with being in that position.

Well in that case then it might be warranted, but now It does not happen. So therefore you have a car that is being taken home when it is not necessary. The computer people do not have a car, and they have to come in and work on the computer system.

[virgo]

Why not just pay the people who have to come in after hours a mileage rate? That way they get reimbursed and there is no way for them to misuse the city's vehicle?

[SouthChic]

I'm guessing it's the difference in exempt and non-exempt employee status. The non-exempt employees (computer people) get paid over-time for coming in any time over their normal 40 hrs. The administrator is on an exempt status, meaning they can't earn overtime. They make the same amt no matter how much or how little they work.

And I think they only reimburse out of town mileage.

[SoMissTV]

The IRS reimbursement rate is $.485/mile. It adds up. We have too many vehicles going home and going out on personal business. I can't, for the life of me, understand why Bennie Sellers is allowed to take himself and his wife to church in the city vehicle. I've seen him do it at least once.

[Baloo]

Thanks SoMissTV! I have also noticed a lot of "city" vehicles being used for personal errands and it is nothing short of stealing in my book!

[Maggie-Doodle]

[quote=SouthChic;349669]I'm guessing it's the difference in exempt and non-exempt employee status. The non-exempt employees (computer people) get paid over-time for coming in any time over their normal 40 hrs. The administrator is on an exempt status, meaning they can't earn overtime. They make the same amt no matter how much or how little they work.

And I think they only reimburse out of town mileage.[/quote

Per a fairly recent conversation with the city attorney, milage could be paid to any employee using their vehicle for city business IF they so chose to turn in the proper documentation...for most it is a pain in the a$$ so they just don't bother because MOST of them don't drive that much on city business.

I personally did not have a problem with your mom having a city car...she was usually available when there was not any other supervisor that could be gotten a hold of....including the sworn folks. I doubt very seriously that the person who is there now would even have a clue as to what is going on, little alone be able to do anything about it! There is a vast difference in the way it "was" as to how it is "now!" I venture to say 95% of the civilian supervisors who are there know their butt from a hole in the ground and could give a damn less! Don't mean to be rude but that is what I perceive from what I have seen of the civilian work force lately.

[Conveyor Belt]

Going to and from work isn't paid time, weather you're salary or hourly. How many times is an officer asked to respond to a call directly from home outside of perhaps, a detective. I'm not really sure here, it's an actual question, not a rhetorical.

Fireman don't take the firetruck home, Dairy Fresh guys don't take the milk truck home, and I don't see any difference when someone takes a city vehicle and runs a personal errand. That's tax payer gas in the tank. It's a taxpayer vehicle they're using, not a personal vehicle.

Thing is, people think they're 'owed' this privilege. They're not. It's granted by the taxpayers through the representatives they elect. It can be removed just as easily.

[Guru]

It's also granted by ignorance of the fact by the public and covert acts committed by the few.

[CrzyHrseOwnr]

Man I never got a city vehicle...that's not fair

[IGID]

Going to and from work isn't paid time, weather you're salary or hourly. How many times is an officer asked to respond to a call directly from home outside of perhaps, a detective. I'm not really sure here, it's an actual question, not a rhetorical.I'm guessing you're talking about only city Officers, but Sheriffs Deputies catch calls all the time after leaving their houses while going to the office. It doesnt make any since to drive by a call for service on the way to work and not stop.

[noway]

I'm guessing you're talking about only city Officers, but Sheriffs Deputies catch calls all the time after leaving their houses while going to the office. It doesnt make any since to drive by a call for service on the way to work and not stop.

Some of them catch calls to and from work..:smt105

[No-Halo]

I'm guessing you're talking about only city Officers, but Sheriffs Deputies catch calls all the time after leaving their houses while going to the office. It doesnt make any since to drive by a call for service on the way to work and not stop.
I very much agree IGID, catching calls from the house while pulling out of the driveway does happen often, from damaged mailboxes to shootings.

Just this past thursday evening I left the house headed to work and as I passed Barrontown Grocery my next door neighbor called me about a drunk driver on Old Richton Rd near Pop Runnels Rd headed in my direction. I turned around and intercepted the drunk, followed her for a few seconds and realized she surely needed to be pulled over. She was so intoxicated she could barely stand and I had to tote her to the back seat of my unit.

This was at 4:30pm, having a take home car and being in the right place at the right time may have prevented someone from being injured because of this inconsiderate person.

[jockpiper]

Its my understanding that many law enforcement agencies issue patrol vehicles to officers because they believe that an issued vehicle is better taken care of rather than one pulled from the motor pool. Which makes sense to me, an officer is more likely to treat his own patrol car like his own personal vehicle, therefore less wear and tear than one driven by a multitude of officers. My gripe is with civilian employees of the city that take their vehicles home, are they charged $25.00 per week like I am which covers personal use of my company vehicle, I some how doubt it.

[justme]

My husband worked for a company that had company issued work vehicles. They were allowed to take the car home,but paid a fee for the use and it could only be driven to and from work. You were allowed to drop the kids off at day care and pick them up but you could not for instance take everyone to walmart in it. We took advantage of this and he used this as his vehicle for most of the time. it was a small amount like $48.00 a month. He did not abuse the policy, for fear that he would be fired because of it.

I do wonder why the mayor has a very nice city car... to drive around the city- why can't he have the same kind of car as the pd- but without the bells and whistles? Does he really need a 300M? is that what it is- it is a really nice car...

[SoMissTV]

It's a Ford 500.

[carsalesguy]

It's a Ford 500.

rejected taurus