What the hell did I just witness?

[JB357Mag]

How about some huge tax payer waste:

USAF 1984 to 1990 every end of October, the end of the physcal year
there were C130 airlifters running for 2 days straight to use up the remaining
fuel.

In supply all organizations were submiting stacks of orders just use up
the budget for the year or else the wouldnt get as much next year.

Total and complete waist of millions of dollars.

I saw it every year I was in the USAF.

Jimmy

 

[Benny]

how is running the car (presumably for the A/C) different than using taxpayer dollars to provide A/C in .gov buildings?

At least there are people in the building actually using the AC. If my car has been running that day and I get out for 45 minutes, it takes approx 2 minutes to cool it back off when I return.

Anyway, lets presume it wasn't for the AC...Why do they always stay running?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Yeah, a car setting, idling is a waste. But I'd bet he didn't burn a quart of gas during that time. If the OP's observations are accurate, this is the part that concerns me:

The cop ended up running the stop sign pulling out going right on 146th. he had to use the right hand turn lane as merging lane because when he ran the stop sign he pulled out in front of 2 cars.

These traffic laws are there to keep us ALL safe--right?

 

[hornadylnl]

At least there are people in the building actually using the AC. If my car has been running that day and I get out for 45 minutes, it takes approx 2 minutes to cool it back off when I return.

Anyway, lets presume it wasn't for the AC...Why do they always stay running?

What would you set your heat or ac at if you weren't paying the utility bill? Same difference.

 

[VUPDblue]

At least there are people in the building actually using the AC. If my car has been running that day and I get out for 45 minutes, it takes approx 2 minutes to cool it back off when I return.

Anyway, lets presume it wasn't for the AC...Why do they always stay running?

I really don't know. I leave mine running when on a call because its quicker to un-ass the area in a hurry (if necessary) when I can skip starting the car. I don't leave it running on a break.
that said, I don't particularly agree with leaving the car running for Long periods of time. I'm uber-cynical/skeptical today and I'm tired of the cop-haters around here and seeing the first thread of a newer member being one complaining about cops....my annoyance level rises a little.

 

[Benny]

What would you set your heat or ac at if you weren't paying the utility bill? Same difference.

And I totally get that. But I've seen cruisers running when it's 70 degrees outside.

From what I've read, it's just SOP to leave it running always...I'd just like to know the reasoning behind it.

 

[Benny]

I really don't know. I leave mine running when on a call because its quicker to un-ass the area in a hurry (if necessary) when I can skip starting the car. I don't leave it running on a break.
that said, I don't particularly agree with leaving the car running for Long periods of time. I'm uber-cynical/skeptical today and I'm tired of the cop-haters around here and seeing the first thread of a newer member being one complaining about cops....my annoyance level rises a little.

Leave it running on a call? I see absolutely no problem with that.

I've heard that it's policy for some departments that the car has to stay running when out of it...That makes no sense to me.

 

[cordex]

I'm a little ambivalent about this.

On the one hand, there is no incentive for police to save money by turning off their car. Maybe there should be - at least when off-duty, although I'm not sure how it would be encouraged or enforced. On-duty (even if on break), being able to jump into a running car might well be an advantage.

On the other hand, the amount of money you saw being wasted by the cop idling his car is pretty minor. 45 minutes of an idling V8 is ... what ... half a gallon? $1.79 isn't the end of the world. Yes, I realize that it adds up over time but all told it is hardly even a number worth mentioning in the context of government waste.

 

[littletommy]

All cops should drive 95 F150s! Mine will freeze you out in about 30 seconds, even on these hot days! That's it, I'm gonna write my congressman.

 

[VUPDblue]

I don't know of any policy like that but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[phylodog]

It isn't our policy to leave them running, it is discouraged. The exception is the K9 officers who are expected to leave them running if the dog is in the vehicle and the temps are too warm or too cold.

I've heard that startup is harder on an engine and burns more fuel than just letting a car idle for 5 minutes but I have no idea if that is true. It apparently is for diesel engines as I see them idling all the time.

 

[littletommy]

I would think sitting at idle for extended periods of time would be harmful to an engine, but I don't know that to be true.

 

[Benny]

It isn't our policy to leave them running, it is discouraged. The exception is the K9 officers who are expected to leave them running if the dog is in the vehicle and the temps are too warm or too cold.

Another completely valid reason for letting it run.

I don't see why any department wouldn't discourage leaving the car running. It's just wasteful.

I also can't imagine that leaving the car idling for an hour is easier on the engine that turning it off and starting it again.

 

[beachhead40]

I never ment it to bash cops ... but he was in cloths i doubt he could even carry(ccw) in. (Basketball Shorts and a tank top). The main points of what I was mad about, the car being ran, parking where it is posted not to, running stop sign in traffic... How can that particular officer actually preform his duties when off duty he breaks them.

 

[Fargo]

And I totally get that. But I've seen cruisers running when it's 70 degrees outside.

From what I've read, it's just SOP to leave it running always...I'd just like to know the reasoning behind it.

Alot of the older ones with older electronics are hit and miss about starting if turned off for any significant period of time because of the level of power drain. A good friend's crown vic interceptor had to be jumped every morning to get it going because of this until he got a new car a couple of months ago. Needless to say, he almost never drove it off duty because of this.

Back before air cards and updated comm stuff, the amount of power they drew simply didn't make it feasible to turn them off while on duty. Now, I believe the newer cars are much better on this and I can't see a reason to leave one running while off duty unless it is one you have to jump every time.

Hopefully, improved electronics will make it less of an issue.

Best,

Joe

 

[MMRUSH]

At least he didnt leave his kids in a hot-ass car like you did.poor kids was probably covered in sweat. This pisses me off!

 

[Yup!]

oh look, a 20 post cop hater. say it ain't so.

What is the minimum post count before you can hate cops, is it the same as the classifieds?

 

[beachhead40]

For the record my kids were with my wife... in the suburban i payed for using gas i paid for ..

 

[Benny]

Alot of the older ones with older electronics are hit and miss about starting if turned off for any significant period of time because of the level of power drain. A good friend's crown vic interceptor had to be jumped every morning to get it going because of this until he got a new car a couple of months ago. Needless to say, he almost never drove it off duty because of this.

Back before air cards and updated comm stuff, the amount of power they drew simply didn't make it feasible to turn them off while on duty. Now, I believe the newer cars are much better on this and I can't see a reason to leave one running while off duty unless it is one you have to jump every time.

Hopefully, improved electronics will make it less of an issue.

Best,

Joe

So do officer's with take-home vehicles leave them running 24/7? It seems to me that if they leave them off for the 12-16 hours they are off duty and the car starts in the morning/evening/night when their shift starts, then they could turn them off while on break.

 

[Mackey]

An engine at idle has been estimated to burn as little as 0.2 gallons up to 0.7 gallons of gas at idle every 30 mins. So taking the high estimate, and figuring that the LEO in question wasn't exaggerating (that is he was there 45 mins) we can figure that he burned 1.5 gallons of gas. (Note: many sources would say this is a very high estimate - it would depend on many factors and it could only be an estimate). Gas in Hamilton County today averaged 3.59 per gallon. The cop at most spent $5.39 of tax payer money.
$5.39 at most!
Get a grip.