DPS nears limit of its budget

Based on current operational expenses, the police department is on the verge of exceeding its fiscal year 2004 allocation, prompting it to consider asking for a bailout measure from the administration and the Legislature.

The move is being compelled by the need to continue operations despite the insufficient funding allocation it has been receiving for several years now.

Of the problems facing the department, commissioner Edward Camacho said the shortage of operational patrol and traffic vehicles has been deterring police response activities.

“We are still putting out reports and other studies that would back us up when we ask the Legislature and the administration to help us. We are asking them to bail us out—all three islands—if we go beyond the 2004 budget. It seems like if we stay at our current expenses right now, we would go beyond it. We are putting our reports together to justify our request,” said Camacho.

Presently, the DPS-Traffic Division has only four operating traffic vehicles that could be used for emergency and patrol operations. Ideally, the DPS needs 24 traffic and patrol vehicles to operate the 24-hour, three-shift operations.

However, Camacho pointed out, all other cars are in the auto shop for repairs and the DPS has insufficient funding to take the cars out. “Some of the cars are in there for the last three to four months. We are under budget for several years now and allocations for maintenance are being used for operational purposes,” said the official.

If funding is made available, though, Camacho said that, instead of taking the vehicles out of the shop, the department is seriously considering buying new patrol vehicles since the amount involved is almost the same.

“Looking at the numbers, we might as well buy 20 new cars than get these cars out of the shop. It would be the same, the total cost of the repairs and the new vehicles,” said Camacho.

Besides asking for additional funding or possibly a bailout measure from the administration and the Legislature, Camacho said several steps are currently being done to remedy the shortage of patrol vehicles.

Camacho said he has waived the 75,000 miles requirement to allow patrol officers more time to use the vehicles. “We are assessing all the vehicles and see if we can use them. Because right now, one car would be taken to the shop and another would be out. We only have between four to five patrol cars operating right now,” he added.

Camacho said the department is trying to rectify the problem by enforcing a maintenance preventive check on all vehicles. The Motor Vehicle Condition Report, an assessment made daily, is being done to ensure that all patrol vehicles are in top-notch condition.
Also, the commissioner had ordered that all DPS unmarked vehicles be used for other patrol purposes and operations to maximize the use of police vehicles in light of the shortage.

He said the vehicle shortage has hampered the DPS’ response operations, patrol and visibility. “We are truly not out there for deterrence and we know that a lot of drivers are violating several traffic laws, there are reports of non-use of seat belts [and] speeding but we are not out there to make an arrest,” he said.

Camacho earlier said the DPS Patrol Section currently has 12 operational vehicles, while the Traffic Division operates with seven units. He said the DPS need a total of 14 units for Traffic and 24 for Patrol to continuously monitor the island.

Camacho said his department requested $32 million for fiscal year 2005. In fiscal year 2004, DPS received $13 million. It had asked for $30 million.

In 2000, Patrol car operations was also be affected after the budget for car leases was cut from $1.1 million to just over $800,000. The Office of Budget and Management had also drastically reduced the department’s budget for fuel to $18,000 for FY 2000 from the current appropriation of $147,000. DPS uses about $13,000 worth of fuel every month.