Many Dallas police officer show up for work and find no patrol car to drive, reports the Dallas Morning News. The police department has about 700 patrol cars. A week ago, 210 were in the shop or otherwise out of service. Meanwhile, 240 new cars were sitting in a lot, waiting to be allocated and fitted with gadgets such as computers. “It is a problem, especially like on a Saturday night,” said Richard Santiesteban, a board member of the National Latino Peace Officers Association Greater Dallas Chapter.
All of the city’s vehicles – squad cars, garbage trucks, code inspector cars, are maintained by the same department, one that has 39 vacancies out of 150 positions. Mechanics are “hard to come by,” said one official.
Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081208dnmetcopcars.43a5499.html