Ingram says purchase of patrol cars may have to wait

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Charles Ingram yesterday said he is in favor of purchasing patrol cars for the agency instead of leasing a fleet of vehicles in order to pare down the agency’s expenditures.

Such move, according to Ingram, will save DPS huge amount in the long run.

However, any purchase plan will not be carried out in Fiscal 2000 because it is not included in the department’s spending package.

The department is also eyeing the possibility of contracting maintenance of the vehicles since it would be cheaper than hiring mechanics to do the job, he added.

Rep. Karl T. Reyes, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he would recommend the purchase of patrol cars in the future because it would be more economical for the department than continuously leasing the vehicles.

Ingram said it would be easier for him to carry out certain programs if he is given reprogramming authority, a plan which the Legislature is seriously studying to allow the department heads enough flexibility to work on limited budget.

The department has expressed apprehension that patrol car operations for the next fiscal year may be affected after the budget for car lease has been cut to just over $800,000 from $1.1 million.

The Office of Budget and Management has also drastically reduced the department’s budget for fuel to $18,000 for FY 2000 from the current appropriation of $147,000. DPS burns approximately $13,000 worth of fuel every month.

Maintenance of patrol cars alone costs $50,000 a year. The leases for patrol cars will expire in December 1999.

With the increase in burglary incidents on the island, DPS needs to acquire more police cars to patrol the villages of Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Currently, patrol cars are running 13 to 16 hours rotation, which takes a toll on the vehicles. Without proper maintenance and supplies to cover the wear and tear, DPS will have lesser vehicles on the street and more in the junk yard.

Ingram said fire trucks, some of which are already 10 to 15 years old, need to be replaced as maintenance alone eats up a huge amount of money. The plan to establish a fire station in Kagman and Marpi would need funding again since DPS would have to acquire ambulance and fire trucks aside from the additional personnel that will be assigned in the two areas.

DPS wants its current $14.3 million budget maintained for FY 2000 but the Budget Office has already earmarked $13.2 million, which is still higher than the $12.4 million spending limit implemented by the government in November last year.

The department will be able to hire additional 45 policemen after it received federal funding for its cops in villages project. However, this only covers their salaries and does not include the purchase of equipment, uniforms and overtime pay.

DPS has also asked for an additional $800,000 to purchase and install a new Emergency 911 system for Saipan for a more reliable and efficient system in handling calls. The new system is a Computer Aid Dispatch which can integrate with GTE Pacifica’s current telephone system.