HOUSTON - With City Council's recent vote to replace 186 aging vehicles in the city fleet, total vehicle spending has drawn attention to Houston Police Department's (HPD) current take-home policy, according to KTRK News.

HPD currently has 1,759 marked police cars on the streets, reported KTRK. Council member Anne Clutterbuck requested "an itemization of how many police officers live in the City of Houston with take-home privileges, and how many live outside of the City of Houston with take-home privileges."

Concerned with officers who live outside the city limits taking cars home, Clutterbuck suggested a review and change in city policy of "allowing police cars to leave the City of Houston when they are not on duty."

However, the police union says the city already has strict guidelines. Each take-home vehicle needs the police chief's approval, and can't be more than 30 miles from police headquarters.

For his part, Mayor Bill White says officers often do Houston police work outside of city limits, and for now, sees no major reason for big policy changes, reported KTRK.

City council members said they would like similar data to be provided to them about all city-owned vehicles taken home by some employees, according to KTRK.

 

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