DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — The take home vehicle program was recently expanded from 8 to 50 miles from city limits for Delano officers. The idea is to create faster response times if more officers take the cars home.
- The take home vehicle program pertains to the police department, where Delano officers have the ability to take their police cruisers home.
- Not only does the take home program allow for faster response time but it can also decrease crime in neighborhoods.
- Changes were made after a 3-2 vote at the October 21 city council meeting.
For over a decade, Delano officers who lived within 8 miles of city limits were able to bring their cruisers home. During the October 21 city council meeting, it was extended to 50 miles. It’s intended to benefit officers and the community, however some don't see it that way.
"See if you're in town and you're in the neighborhood and you have a police car that deters crime in our community. But, if you have a police car in Bakersfield, what good is it doing us there,” said council member Liz Morris.
This was just one of the many arguments brought up by Council woman Morris who voted against expanding the take-home program.
Concerns were also raised about faster response times and budget increases.
Ultimately, the expansion passed with a 3-2 vote.
"Presented by the Chief of police to the City of Delano was approximately $75,000 added to the budget for the take home program,” said Council member Mario Nunez.
Council member Nunez voted yes on the expansion and he tells me the increased budget will add 27 officers to the take-home program, however, this doesn't only benefit officers.
“McFarland had that call that came out as an active shooter several weeks ago,” said Nunez. “We had officers responding from Bakersfield, Tulare, Visalia, even within Delano. The benefit of them having it, the response to that call was about 10-15 minutes."
Though the expansion was passed, the city has the power to change it as they see fit if the expansion doesn’t benefit the community and its officers.
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