Department of Justice Vehicle Utilization

• NCJ Number: 69780
• Author(s): K M Adlfinger; D L Ledgere
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 94 pages
• Corporate Author: California Dept of Finance
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study of vehicle use in the California Department of Justice examined home storage of undercover vehicles, use of departmental and general service pools, purchase of used rental cars, and misuse of state vehicles.

Abstract

The study and recommendations were prepared for a legislature committee by the Program Evaluation Unit in the Department of Finance. Recommendations were based on analysis of official data and policies. Special agents in the Division of Law Enforcement are ordinarily assigned a vehicle which they store at home for responding to emergency call-outs and making frequent trips directly between their homes and field locations. Home storage is a reasonable general policy, but home storage permit applications should be supported by adequate cost-saving or specific call-out information for agents using vehicles fewer than 12 times a year for emergency overtime call-outs. Adequate data were not available on the use of Enforcement and Investigation Branch vehicle pools. Monitoring of pool vehicle use and the adoption of temporary pool utilization standards, pending development of general guidelines, are recommended. Use of State contract vehicles for undercover use appears to be less costly than purchase of used rental cars. Continued experimentation with use of undercover contract vehicle is recommended. Rental cars should be purchased through a specification and competitive bid procedure. Travel logs for personally assigned vehicles were examined for vehicle misuse, but data lacked enough detail to support any conclusions. Establishment of a supervisory review procedure for spotchecking odometer and travel logs against special agent location records is recommended. Tables provide information on vehicle assignments, cost comparisons, and pool vehicle use; figures illustrate geographic relationships and a system for reviewing home-storage permits. Appendixes present cost data reports and the Division of Law Enforcement's view on State vehicle use policies included. Footnotes with references are included.