Metro Police administrators have told officers that if they choose not to keep their take-home patrol cars, the city could sell them. Officers have until Saturday to decide if they will keep their cars or park them.
Chief Robert White has told officers if they plan to opt out of the take-home car program, they can't get back in the program and the city could sell the cars.
FOP President John McGuire says, "If you actually look at the memo, it's just another ultimatum -- a way to force officers to participate in the program."
Fraternal Order of Police President John McGuire is referring to this memorandum from Chief Robert White that was sent out on Dec. 11th. The memo tells officers if they choose to opt out of the city's take-home car program, "they may not participate in the program at a later date."
Adding to that, McGuire says, "We were told Friday that the people that do not participate will not only lose their cars, but their cars will then be sold."
LMPD Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Troy Riggs, says, "You have to remember we have over one thousand cars in our fleet, so we need to know how many cars are going to be on the street, how many of those cars we are going to need for pool cars, and we they can't fluctuate on a day-to-day basis."
Officers are being asked to pay more each month to take home their patrol cars in the wake of the city's $20 million shortfall.
Many officers have said they would rather park their patrol cars instead of paying more. McGuire says, "If you take those cars off the street, you're not talking about only reducing run time, you're significantly reducing the number of officers out there to respond."
But Mayor Jerry Abramson last week said, "Some people, no doubt, will claim that the changes will leave the public vulnerable. I am here to tell you they are using fear tactics, not facts."
Comments like these note the tension that has emerged out of the city's financial troubles. While other departments have taken 10% and 11% cuts, LMPD has been asked to reduce its spending by less than two percent.
Riggs says, "As far as emergency response, that is not going to change. The only thing that will change is the ability of some people that will make that choice not to take their car home."
The FOP has scheduled a meeting with its officers Tuesday night to determine their next course of action.
If officers decide to opt out, they could be told to turn over their keys by January 1st.
