According to an article by the Associated Press, increasing numbers of police officers around the United States are being forced to give up driving their patrol cars due to the increasing price of gasoline. Instead, they are now doubling up in vehicles as well as being forced to actually walk a beat more.

A Change for the Better

While some people are skeptical about this change in how policing is being done, others are hopeful. Cities such as Newberry, South Carolina are advising police officers to be more environmentally conscious by turning off their patrol cars when they’re idling or at a call where they need to step out for a moment to investigate. Additionally, the fact that some officers are being forced to double up in patrol cars (while annoying for some police officers who value their independence) is not all that bad because there is more safety in numbers. This also minimized the number of patrol vehicles on the road, which may help to save some cities some money in gas expenses.

However, some speculate that the decreasing number of patrol vehicles on the roadways and in the neighborhoods is not that great because then there is nothing to really deter crime from occurring. Also, if there is a major call that goes out, some are worried about how officers without vehicles will be able to get to those calls quickly. On the other hand, the fact that increasing numbers of police officers are actually being forced to “walk” a beat is a good thing because it tends to be a more effective tool ( in a lot of cases) for increasing police presence as well as helping police officers to build a relationship with the people in the community. At the same time, the exercise is good for many of the officers, who are “battling the bulge” and desperately need to get in shape. It’s more personal.

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