Local law enforcement agencies working to make sure increasing gas prices don't impact public safety
With gas prices shooting through the roof, local aw enforcement agencies are taking aim at some fuel cost-cutting measures.
Currently, $20 will get a driver less than five gallons of gas.
That's what Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins is managing with her fleet of over 400 patrol cars. The rising cost has law enforcement agencies scrambling to make sure the increase doesn't impact public safety, Hawkins said.
"We understand gas prices are going up with inflation, but our responsibility to the community is to keep it safe and that involves patrolling with vehicles and being practice," said Hawkins.
Meanwhile, Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has one of the largest fleets of vehicles in the county with about 450 vehicles that provides transportation 24-7.
Deputies fill their vehicles at local pumps that give them a state discount on fuel.
Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright said he's making sure deputies are checking tire pressure and performing other maintenance that will help conserve fuel.
But, Wright said one thing deputies can't do is turn the patrol car off for long periods of time while on duty.
"We can't just turn these vehicles off. They have computers in them, and these computers have to continue to run within these cars we have. But also, we can slow the speed down, which would save gas," said Wright.
While the rising gas prices have law enforcement leaders concerned, they said sometimes, it's a juggling act.
"Just like we dealt with COVID, we're going to deal with gas prices," said Wright. "WE take and we remove things from here; we move things from there so that we continue to provide the service that we do."
Law enforcement leaders said while fuel and maintenance costs are factored in when budgets are produced at the beginning of the fiscal year, there's no way the war on Ukraine or the impact it would have on gas prices could have been predicted.
But, Hawkins and Ennis say they're still managing fuel within those budgets.
