CITY POLICE CHIEF SUGGESTS USED CARS FOR ALL OFFICERS

Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel wants the city to buy 30 reconditioned police cars over the next three years as part of an effort to improve police visibility in the community.

Hetzel discussed his proposal Friday afternoon during the City Council retreat at Black Forest Villages. The council took no action at the daylong meeting.

Hetzel said the goal is to assign a vehicle to each patrol officer.

Thirty-seven patrol officers currently share eight patrol cars, which are driven around the clock.

Hetzel said the move could provide increased police protection. Police departments with assigned-vehicle programs effectively have two shifts on the road during shift changes.

In 1985, Hampton, Va., police officers using assigned vehicles were involved in 1,231 service calls, 38 arrests and 152 traffic citations while off duty, according to a report prepared by the Cape Girardeau Police Department's traffic division.

In addition to increasing police visibility in the community, the move could decrease vehicle maintenance costs and extend the life of the vehicles, Hetzel said.

It also would provide an incentive for police officers to live in the city. Officers who live in Cape Girardeau would be able to take the cars home.

Hetzel said officers who live outside the city limits would have to park their patrol cars at businesses or other sites in Cape Girardeau.

The city wouldn't allow the officers to use the patrol cars for personal business.

Hetzel and city manager Michael Miller said the patrol cars would be better maintained if they were assigned to individual officers rather than shared.

Only a third of the cars would be in operation on any one shift, Hetzel said.

Currently, the city puts an average of 38,000 miles on each patrol car in a year.

"They last two years and are shot,' said Hetzel.

The city originally had considered buying five new police vehicles at a cost of about $100,000. For that same cost, the city can buy 10 reconditioned vehicles, Hetzel said.

Over three years, the city could buy 30 reconditioned vehicles for $300,000.

The reconditioned police cars typically have been driven 65,000 to 85,000 miles prior to being purchased by another law enforcement agency.

But by increasing the fleet, the Cape Girardeau Police Department would only be driving each reconditioned car about 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year, Hetzel said.

A reconditioned vehicle could still be in excellent condition even at 150,000 miles, he said.

City officials said the move makes financial sense if the city can get five years of use out of each reconditioned vehicle.