A Nebraska police department received an anonymous $3 million donation to purchase 30 vehicles.
The Kearney Police Department will be able to implement its take-home vehicle program which will hopefully deter crime and help recruit new officers, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
It will take between 18 and 24 months to implement the program, according to Chief Bryan Waugh.
“Seeing police cars parked in different neighborhoods could make criminals think twice before breaking the law in Kearney,” Waugh told the Journal Star.
Lt. Derek Luke told KSNB Local 4 the department spends on average $250,000 replacing vehicles.
“We try to replace four to five vehicles per year, as they age out and mile out, and they get used up very quickly,” Luke told KSNB Local 4. “This will allow the cars to last longer.”
He also said officers having patrol cars they can take home will improve response times.
“If we have a SWAT call or if we have a big event that we need additional officers, it could save up to 45 to 60 minutes of response time,” Luke said.
Having personally assigned vehicles may attract recruits to the department.
“They want to be well trained, they want to be well educated and they want to have good equipment, as well as good working conditions,” Luke said. “So this, the police car is the officers’ office. Their job comes out of their police car.”
Kearney, Nebraska, is the home of the University of Nebraska Kearney. The town is home to more than 30,000 people.
A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice found that while the initial cost for take-home vehicles is high, over time, police departments will see reduced replacement costs and lower maintenance fees.
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