Staff Writer

JONESVILLE - True to his word, Police Chief Eddie Smith has asked Jonesville Town Council to change its policy and again allow officers to drive their patrol cars home when their shift ends.

Council voted unanimously in August to end the practice in an effort to reduce the town's fuel costs. Smith said at the time he would probably come back to council in 30 days to ask council to rescind the policy.

The policy was implemented on a trial basis with planning to compare fuel savings. Smith said Tuesday that fuel costs had dropped from $1,460 in July to $947 in August. He said this was not due to the new policy but to the decline in the price of gasoline and his department's switching from premium gas to regular unleaded at the direction of council.

Smith urged council to reverse its policy, arguing that allowing officers to take their vehicles home with them will enable them to return to town quickly in the event of an emergency situation. He said that in a police vehicle they can drive faster than the speed limit to get back to Jonesville, something they can't do with their own cars.

Another major concern is the security of the vehicles and its impact on the safety of officers and the public. Smith said that parking the vehicles at the old National Guard armory leaves them vulnerable to theft, vandalism and even sabotage. The vehicles contain $3,000-$5,000 worth of equipment that would have to be replaced at an even higher cost if they were stolen or rendered inoperable.

Left at the armory, the vehicles could be targeted by criminals who could vandalize them by smashing in their windows or slashing their tires, Smith said. There's also the possibility of sabotage in the form of brake lines being cut which could cause an accident resulting in the injury and/or death of an officer and/or civilians.

If, however, the officers were allowed to take their vehicles home with them, the vehicles would be secure around the clock, Smith said, adding that officers performed general maintenance on the patrol cars at their homes while off-duty.

While the cost of gasoline has declined, Smith said the policy has increased the out-of-pocket expenses for the officers. He said the policy has decreased officers' annual salary by $2,500-$3,000 as personal vehicle fuel costs were $60 per week. Smith suggested that council instead charge officers $1.50 per day to take their vehicles home.

Smith added that as part of the agreement he and Officer Ron Bishop made with the town when they went to work as police officers was that they would be able to take their patrol cars home with them when their shifts ended. He added that Bishop, who serves as School Resource Officer at Jonesville Middle School, will be driving less as he will be spending most of his time at the school, further reducing the town's fuel costs. Also, another officer is at the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy and will not be doing much driving either until after graduation.

Mayor Ernest Moore Jr. pointed out that council initiated the policy to cut fuel costs. Moore said this was part of an effort to enable the town to keep a police department. He said he wants to avoid having to dissolve the department and turn law enforcement responsibilities over to the Union County Sheriff's Office.

Council will review the matter and take it up at its October meeting.