CH24 24 .2 - Take Home Car Policy

 

The Lapel Town Council, Town of Lapel, Madison County, Indiana has determined an issue that needs to be addressed within the Lapel Police Department.

WHEREAS: Lapel had increased in area from approximately 600 acres to over 6,300 acres.

WHEREAS: With the increased area comes the need for a quicker response time from the Police Department.

The Lapel Town Council, Town of Lapel, Madison County, Indiana now establishes a Police Department "take home" police car policy for full time officers.

TAKE HOME CAR POLICY

Policy:

The Lapel Police Department shall have a police patrol car take home policy for full time police officers. This policy will allow for officers to take the patrol car, or a temporary replacement, assigned to them home and keep that vehicle at their home during their off duty hours. This policy is designed to allow the officer to have the immediate availability of his or her patrol car and its stocked equipment at their disposal in order to decrease the response time to an emergency call. The policy will have the same purpose in the event of a larger county, state or nationwide emergency in which law enforcement may be needed to respond in as quick a manner as possible. The take home policy will also reduce unnecessary time and travel for the officers and vehicles in event where the officer is going to be travelling to court, training or other legitimate duties as a Lapel Police Officer.

Procedures:

1. The Police Chief will always have a take home patrol car at his or her disposal
2. Full time police officers will always have a take home patrol car assigned to them based on the availability of vehicles within the Lapel Police Department fleet using the following:
   • Rank
   • Specialty
   • Seniority
3. A minimum of one (1) fully functional and equipped patrol car will be on station and available for part time and reserve police officer use at all times.
4. Take home patrol cars are to be used for Lapel Police Department business only. No personal use allowed.
5. The officer is responsible to maintain the patrol car and keep a record of the vehicles maintenance issues, fuel, etc.
6. Based on the Lapel Police Department's need to serve the Town of Lapel, at times an officer will be required to temporarily surrender their vehicle for use by the department while the officer is off duty.
7. Officers leaving Madison County for vacation will store their take home patrol car at the Lapel Police Department for departmental use and safety. This does not extend to the Police Chief take home patrol car.
8. The Lapel Police Department take home patrol car policy is also limited to full time officers who reside within Madison County, Indiana, or within a 20 mile radius from Lapel, Indiana.
9. The Police Chief or his or her designee, will make the determination on the appropriateness of the use of a Lapel Police Department patrol car for activities that are not traditionally part of the police department duties, but serve the department's purpose and role in a positive light, i.e. Parades out if Lapel, Public Safety Displays, Conferences, Public Educational Programs.
10. As a matter of policy, all uses of the Lapel Police Department patrol cars, even if apparently within these guidelines, should be first reported to the Police Chief or his or her designee for approval.