Gas prices take toll on Florence sheriff’s office
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Gas Price Impact
Gas Price ImpactPublished: July 17, 2008
Updated: July 18, 2008
While consumers continue to feel pain at the pump, many local organizations say they, too, are being affected.
Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone says his agency budgets around $10,500 a week for fuel.
Right now, that bill is running closer to $14,000 a week.
Boone says the agency covers more than 800 geographical miles, which makes it difficult for them to implement many gas-saving measures like foot patrols and mopeds.
Instead, Boone says the department is doing things like turning off cars at least ten minutes every hour and making cuts, like salary savings, within the office.
“Public works, they can put off digging a ditch for a month or something, but when people call for law enforcement or sheriff’s office, they want to see the deputy. They need the deputy, they want law enforcement, and public safety is one of our top priorities and the public’s top priority,” said Boone.
Boone added that most deputies take a personal interest in saving gas because they realize that when there are budgetary problems, it could affect things like merit and cost of living raises.
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Reader Reactions
It is good to see that Florence County Sheriff Department is trying to think of ways to save money in this high fuel cost economy. I agree that when citizens calls they usually need law enforcement and should never be denied that service when they are in need. Maybe this will cause FCSD to start focusing on the true need of the communities and not continue to waste taxpayers’ dollars on other less important things. Law enforcement was original created from tax dollars to be called to protect property and individuals, before it was expanded over time to provide other services. I hope this high fuel cost will help to get law enforcement back to where it needs to be, and stop wasting on services and other things that it should never be doing.
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