Everyone gets a new car if you're an Alexander police officer

COMMENTARY: by Concerned Citizens of Alexander

Are you aware City of Alexander Mayor Michelle Hobbs is pushing through a debt we haven’t seen in years to supply the police force with all new cars?  After packing the council with her “cookie-cutter – yes people” they voted for the plan. 

And that's adding to a $350,000 loan from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that is still not paid off.  That loan includes our two newest police cars.  We are paying over $2,000 per month for that loan and now they are adding over $3,500 to that. 

A copy of the U.S.D.A. note can be obtained by any citizen through the Freedom of Information Act.  Just search online for an FOIA form and instructions.  They are required to answer within three (3) days, by both Federal and Arkansas law.

Did you know all City of Alexander police officers use police cars as their personal vehicles?  You can obtain a copy of the “Fleet gas bill” showing when and where each vehicle is refueled each month. See procedure underlined above.

So, why do we need seven new police cars?  Apparently becoming a City of Alexander police officer entitles you to a car to take home, no matter where you live.  Even though police cars are built for more extreme use than your average family car, what they are put through is still brutal.  Adding the additional mileage of personal use, or even just driving to and from an officer's home outside of Alexander, is just added unnecessary wear-and-tear.

As a point of interest; if you've ever wondered why you see Pulaski County Sheriff cars parked at city hall it's because they are not allowed to take them home if they live outside the county.  If it's good enough for the county, why not us? 

Granted, we do need new vehicles; perhaps a total fleet of four.  Since we generally have no more than two officers per shift they can each drive one car while the other two cool off from the previous shift.  HOWEVER, we need to get the previous ones paid for and we need to limit vehicle use to shift duty only.  That will instantly take the strain off our aging misused fleet.

If you agree, remember November 4, 2014.