Peachtree City Police maintain 94 vehicles to issue an estimated 7,130 citations and warnings to residents this year.
As of last week, the Peachtree City Police Department had 94 vehicles on its books. Vehicle types include 68 Ford Crown Victoria sedans, 13 sport utility vehicles consisting of eight Ford Explorers, two Ford Expeditions and three Chevy Tahoes, as well as one Ford F-250 pickup truck, a Ford Mustang and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ten miscellaneous other vehicles round out the list.
And the Police Department wants more!
Incredibly, according to the city’s 2013 through 2016 five-year budget plan currently under review, the department is asking for an additional 45 police sedans. Ten more sedans are requested in 2012, although the final quantity has yet to be determined and will be discussed at the Aug. 4, 2011 City Council meeting.
If the Police Department has its way, the 2012 budget number will be 10, bringing the total quantity of new sedans purchased during the next five years to 55.
When asked by Council at the Thursday, July 21, 2011 City Council meeting why the department needed so many more vehicles, the police chief responded that the department just could not get along with less than 10 more new sedans in 2012. (Note, it is understood that a few vehicles will be periodically rotated out of the fleet as they age.)
What is the Peachtree City Police Department going to do with all of these vehicles? It is important Peachtree City residents understand that the police department is going to use them in part to write citations and warnings on you.
Utilizing the departmental data taken from June’s Peachtree City Police Department 2011 Monthly Report, the department has issued during the first six months of the year 4,659 citations and 6,070 warnings.
At that rate, the department will write 21,458 total for the year (9,318 citations and 12,140 warnings).
Of course, not all of the 21,458 citations and warnings will be issued to Peachtree City residents. Again, using data supplied by the Police Department earlier this year, approximately one-third of the total are written on residents.
So Peachtree City resident drivers, be aware that your police department, using the 94 vehicles that you paid for and pay to maintain, will be used to serve you with approximately 3,075 citations and 4,055 warnings in 2011.
Just think of all the fuel, insurance, maintenance, manpower, etc., the city could save if the Police Department took on a less aggressive stance against its own residents.
Then guess what? If you choose not to pay a heavy fine for the citation, you can take the issue to the Peachtree City Municipal Court where, according to my recent observation, the chances of your being found not guilty are minuscule. (But that is another story for later.)
And while you’re at it, review the Peachtree City Police department staffing. There are 73 people including four assigned to Code Enforcement. Of the 73, there are 14 command positions. That’s a ratio of 4.2 to one commander.
Too many police vehicles, too many citations, too many warnings, too many police officers, too much expense for Peachtree City taxpayers.
Jeff Christian
Peachtree City, Ga.
