Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 | 5:20 p.m.
The Nevada Highway Patrol can save more than $7 million by reducing its excess vehicles and closing the patrol's dispatch office in Elko, an executive audit recommends.
But the state Division of Internal Audits says its recommendations would take time to carry out.
The audit says the patrol has 430 sworn officers with an authorization of 485. But it has 595 patrol vehicles.
The report suggests a 20 to 30 percent reduction in vehicles with the patrol retaining 416 to 474 cars. "Reducing the fleet size could save the Nevada Highway Patrol up to $7.2 million in one-time savings and save up to $1.8 million annually," said audit.
The timetable for reducing the vehicle fleet and managing the inventories should be completed by 2015, the audit suggested.
Closing the Elko dispatch center calls for transferring four of its 16 employees to Reno. The command headquarters in Reno and Las Vegas can communicate statewide.
The target date for closing Elko is July 2017.
Chris Perry, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said it was doubtful this closure could be ready for consideration of the 2013 Legislature but it will be evaluated for the 2015 session.
Perry said the highway patrol will outline its concerns and issues in reducing the number of vehicles. He said a plan will be presented by the end of the year for a three-phase reduction.
The audit, released last Thursday, also recommended patrol vehicles be equipped with mobile data computers.
"Patrol troopers may be at greater risk without the mobile data computer system," said the report. "During high volumes of radio transmissions in the Southern Region, troopers reported they had to wait their turn to talk.
"A few troopers have reportedly been on foot pursuit and other potentially dangerous situations without the ability to communicate due to the high volume of radio transmissions," said the audit.
A benefit of having the mobile computers installed in the patrol cars is they will be able to receive text, identification pictures, driver's license information, vehicle registrations and warrants. And it provides the ability to locate the position of the officers.
Perry said work has been under way for the mobile computers, but "it is likely that this project would not be considered before the 2016-17 biennium."
Director Perry should get this prepared for the 2013 Legislator now. We the taxpayers do not want to overpay for another 2 years. I have already brought this to the attention of Assembly Chairwoman Kirkpatrick. It is unacceptable that NDPS cars are not equipped with new computers, as are say Las Vegas Metro Police cars standardly. This should be rectified by trade offs in fleet savings during the 2013 Session. Mr. Perry please see the urgency of these actions and get your key staff writing and preparing you to present your bill drafts in the first weeks of session. This should be in your budget revisions to the Governor in the next weeks.
If they don't have computers available now, the infrastructure will also have to be updated statewide, probably will also need an increase in the number of towers to support data services. I think that the funding increase will need to be much higher than the savings from reducing the number of vehicles that are in service.
2015 to get rid of a glut of cars! If this was a private entity the changes would take effect within 6 months. They are willing spending $3.6M unnecessarily on cars they don't need.
5 years to close a dispatch office in Elko that is wasting money! Only with public funds is this possible.
Not sure taxes need to be raised with this information. We give more and it creates waste like this.
NHP keeps an excessive amount of cars, not for the Troopers who should each have a vehicle, but for those above the rank of Sergeant so that they have free transportation.
Why do NHP patrolmen "own" their vehicles to the extent that they take them home with them when they are off duty? The vehicle "works" 40 hours per week and sits in the driveway of a patrolman 128 hours per week. That triples the number of vehicles needed to get the job done. And, has anyone checked on the number of cars Metro owns? Last year I wrote to the county supervisors and informed them that information on the internet showed that Metro owned one vehicle for each sworn officer. One of the supervisors responded that he would check on it and "get back to me". He didn't say when. 2000 vehicles multiplied by 20 gallons of gas per vehicle @ $3.50 per gallon comes to one significant gasoline inventory sitting on Metro parking lots.
Just Plain Groovy....
My husband is a trooper, he does have his car at home. He is frequently called out in the middle of the night, after his shift is either over or on his day off. If he had to retrieve his state car from the lot that would delay his providing assisitance. If he is delayed then the cry babies like Larry Bee would complain that response time is too slow. My husband does not "own" his car. Many people residents in our neighborhood consider it a plus.