Policies and Practices Concerning Take-Home Sheriffs’ Cars in Georgia
Authors: Chelsea Copeland and Ryan Porter
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Mary Eleanor Wickersham
Abstract:
Take-home police vehicles have been a topic of great debate in law enforcement agencies over the last two decades. A departmental policy decision to offer assigned vehicles from an department pool or to use take-home vehicles is generally — but not always — based on a somewhat murky understanding of which option is the most cost-effective Some departments are now, however, questioning the cost-effectiveness of the plan. The purpose of this research is to investigate the controversial debate by analyzing the pros and cons of take-home policies, reviewing cost benefit analysis studies, and reviewing the policy requirements of take-home vehicles in a sample of Georgia’s sheriff’s departments.
