The Delaware State News questions the value of allowing police officials to drive official vehicles to and from work. While municipal police departments in Dover, Milford and Smyrna, Del., issue vehicles primarily to administrative officers and detectives, the Harrington Police Department and Delaware State Police provide cruisers for each trooper. Police officials defend the policy, which has continued while gas prices rose throughout the year, as an effective way to keep vehicle maintenance costs down and have officers on the job the moment they leave their homes.
“Our troopers go in service when they leave their home on the way to the troop,” said state police spokesman Lt. Joseph P. Aviola Jr. Responding to a call while in a personal vehicle would be more difficult for the agency's 630 officers because much of the equipment needed to handle complaints is stored in the police vehicles.
Link: http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/12/27/dm/central_delaware/dsn01.txt