While the Amador County Sheriff's Office purchases wholesale gas through the Department of General Services Administration, rising costs are beginning to take their toll on local law enforcement budgets as well.

Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

Rising gas prices aren't taking it easy on anyone, and that includes cops.

With fuel prices creeping their way toward $5 a gallon, law enforcement budgets are being stretched tightly.

"Gas prices are definitely having an impact on the monthly fuel bills," said Jim Wegner, undersheriff for Amador County.

The monthly cost for gasoline is on the rise for the department, just as it is everywhere else. On average, the department spends between $14,000 and $20,000 each month on fuel. The cost to run the patrol cars last month reached $17,000 with another $1,000 in jail transportation needs, said Wegner. Those transportation costs vary each month, depending on where inmates are transferred.

Patrol vehicles average 3,000 to 3,200 miles per month and are typically replaced every three years or 100,000 miles, Wegner explained.

So far, the California Highway Patrol isn't sharing in the economic pain, as CHP units generally have their own fill-up stations.

"We don't have to worry about it too much," said Craig Harmon, public information officer for the CHP's Jackson unit. "We only fill up outside if we have to."

Harmon explained that there are restrictions on the gas tanks the CHP uses, with staffing and regulations that can become expensive. Those who man the CHP pumps must be licensed through the state, for instance.

In Sacramento County, the sheriff's office recently elected to double up on deputies in patrol vehicles, hoping the change would increase officer safety as well as reduce fuel costs. According to their spokesperson, Sgt. Tim Curran, economics is a factor in prompting the move.

Jon Hopkins, director of the county's General Services Administration, said it may not yet be time to take the same route, even though the price of gas is affecting the department.

"There is a limited area to patrol in cities," he said. "Here, we may have three or four deputies out on patrol with a call coming in from Ione and another from Kirkwood. Doubling up may not be the ticket."

In Ione, police Chief Michael Johnson said his department is also suffering from the unanticipated inflation of fuel costs taking more and more out of the budget. In California, where state budget cuts are partially targeting local law agency revenues, small municipalities like the Ione Police Department are feeling the impact.

"The end result is that more money has to be allocated for fuel costs, which in turn means that money previously used for other operational costs will be reduced," said Johnson. He added that the gas rate hikes are responsible for a fiscal excise in the past year's budget and worries that cuts will affect programs such as crime prevention, training and equipment for his department.

"The deployment of patrol officers still must rely on at least one motor vehicle in service 24/7 to ensure timely response," he said.

The annual budget for the sheriff's office is approved as a "one line item," covering everything from fuel costs to vehicle repairs and rental fees for the department's sports utility vehicles.

Hopkins said he wasn't yet sure whether he would need to ask for more money for fuel costs, but had been given the task of sending internal memorandums to various departments asking them to conserve fuel. A bonus, he added, is the board of supervisors recently electing to join forces with the International Council on Local Environmental Issues, whose sole purpose is to reduce emissions beginning at the local level. Hopkins said he has recently met with the council's director, Jerry Scott, on a variety of issues, including gas usage.

"This is not a group that will go to the board and point fingers," said Hopkins. "This group actually researches alternatives and lets you know how to implement them. They allow you to take advantage of their knowledge."

Wegner said his office wouldn't cut down on patrols as a result of the tireless climb toward more expensive fuel. If anything, the rising threat of a recession could mean increased crime, as the sheriff's office typically sees spikes in shoplifting and thefts, including thefts of gas. In Ione, Johnson said that alternative patrol practices are being explored to help alleviate the burden of rising fuel costs and city officers are still patrolling and continuing their service.

"The board of supervisors is very supportive of public safety," said Wegner of the political body that approves his department's budget. "We will be out looking for problems and being proactive."