Crime & Safety

Ask a Cop: Why Do Police Officers Waste Gas?

Officers directing traffic leave their engines running for hours sometimes. Why?

Question:

Why do police officers always leave their cars running when they are directing traffic at events such as the Aptos fireworks? I saw a highway patrol officer with his car running for hours there. It seems like an environmental waste. Can't they just get in their cars and turn them on if needed?

Answer, from Sarah Jackson, California Highway Patrol, Aptos division:

Find out what's happening in Albanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patrol vehicles contain a large amount of electronic equipment: Mobile data computers, audio/video recording devices, and our communication radios. 

Because this is a significant drain on a battery, the vehicle must remain running or the battery will quickly run out. Our newer patrol vehicles are equipped with two full-size batteries, however this still is not adequate for extended periods of time. 

Find out what's happening in Albanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Officers also rely on the consistent availability of radio communication in order to be responsive to calls from the public or in cases of emergency incidents.
 
Another issue is a K9 Officer's vehicle. These are equipped with a special air conditioning system which must remian operational in order to provide a healthy work environment for the officer's K9 partner. (CHP does not have a K9 Officer assigned to Santa Cruz, but we do in other areas.)
 
An officer who is stranded with a dead battery and unable to respond to a call for service from the public is not acceptable to us, and would not likely be acceptable to the public needing our help.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.