Take Home Car Question...

[Excalibur]

I don't post here much but do a lot of reading, but had a quick question trying to gather as much information as possible.

I just received a job offer from a local Sheriff's Office getting sworn in late this week and should start next week, at which point I will get verified. This agency has take home cars but no official policy or if they do nobody seems to know it, including the Sheriff. I live 8 miles from the county line in a neighboring county, less than 5 minutes drive from another deputy who has a take home. They are debating on whether I can have a take home at my residence, they are saying it may be too far, and what if something happens in the northern most part of the county (I live on southern edge) I will be the last to get there, I reply with yes but what if something happens on the southern most point, I will be the first there, even before anybody at the SO, this county is about 1000 sq. miles with 9 deputies, soon to be 11 after me and other hire are sworn in.

For those that have take home cars what are the requirements for residency? I have spoke with deputies from neighboring counties and they told me must live in county or within 10 miles is the requirement for their agency, but I have also spoke with some throughout the State (Texas) that require living within 20 minutes from county seat. I am just attempting to see what the "norm" is out there. This is not a deal breaker with the SO and I am not going to *****, whine and complain if I don't get a take home as I will still have my own car at the SO, I am just trying to get educated and perhaps make an informed presentation to the Sgt and see what can happen.

[marinepilot]

First off, Congrat's on your job offer!

Secondly, while I'm not in Texas, in my agency, and those around me, as long as you live within the county or the neighboring county, you can take your car home. I am with the county SO, and I live in the county, so it's no problem for me. But I know guys that live in the next county over and they can take their cars home. That county's SO also allows their guys who live in my county to take their cars home. The few municipal Police Departments around also follow this rule as I have seen guys from the city in my county take their cars to the next county and vice-versa.

The county immediately to my west is another state, and I don't know of anyone in my agency or the PD's who live over there and work here, so I don't know if they are allowed to take their cars home. I did apply with a city PD in Alabama tho and was told if I was hired, I would be allowed to take my car home, even though I live in a different state and it's about a 40 mile drive to that city.

[MikeG]

I know of one city department that recently changed their policy to only allow take-homes for officers who lived within the city limit. This was cost cutting measure though - fuel and number of cars. Also, there would not be a jurisdiction issue in AZ as LEO's have authority throughout the state. Not a LEO either.

[DeltaV]

I know that you're probably excited about getting a job, however if an agency (and the agency head) has no policy when it comes to things like how their valuable assets (vehicles) are utilized, then I would run like the wind as far away from it as I could get. I just can't even fathom how the sheriff himself would not know anything about how take home vehicles are administered at the agency he runs. I wonder how clueless he is when it comes to other important things?

[Excalibur]

While I agree with that assessment, the reason there is no policy is because they have never hired anybody who has lived outside the county and now they just hired 2 and trying to iron out the details on us as we both live about a mile from each other oddly enough. This is a very low budget agency, all they provide is uniform and vest, the rest is on your own, not because the county doesn't have the money but because the commissioners see the SO as a money pit. This agency has recently hired a sgt and he trying to turn it around to a marketable agency, he started at a large agency here in Texas then was a FAM for the past 10, and has lots of good ideas.

I thank you all for your responses so far and welcome many more!

[Jim1348]

The county that I retired from had take home vehicles for many of us. We could take it home of we lived on the county OR, for some that lived outside of the county, you could park it at a PD in the county near the county line.

[cntryboy0531]

I'd use the place as a starting point and then move to bigger and better things.

My agency requires us to live in county to work at my Sheriff's Office. So, it's a non-issue for us. I have a take home vehicle and full use of it while off duty. Other agencies in the area allow you to take the vehicle to a neighboring county only. While other cities in my county require it stay in the county, or at the closest Sheriff's Office substation to your residence in this county.

[Excalibur]

Thanks again for the responses!

It was mentioned in passing when I talked to the Sgt on Saturday that for sure I could take it to the deputies house who lives about 4 minutes from me and leave it there if he ok'd it. My question is what's 4 more minutes? I know they have to draw the line somewhere though. This particular county does not have sub-stations so that is not an option and the SO is about 3/4 of the way north in the county, so sub stations would be a valuable thing to add. As far as leaving it at other PDs that could be an option...I am hoping they let me have a take home and from what I am reading here in a lot of other places they would let me, but only time will tell.

*edit to add: there are no cars to even give us at the moment, even if we don't get take homes, nothing for us to drive, so it should be interesting*

[Excalibur]

Wow....so...this is a non-issue now. The agency called me today and said they have decided they are not going to hire me, no explanation. I know the SO and commissioners have been in a heated battle for a while now and I think this may be a result of it.

[McNulty]

I know that you're probably excited about getting a job, however if an agency (and the agency head) has no policy when it comes to things like how their valuable assets (vehicles) are utilized, then I would run like the wind as far away from it as I could get. I just can't even fathom how the sheriff himself would not know anything about how take home vehicles are administered at the agency he runs. I wonder how clueless he is when it comes to other important things?

Glad I'm not the only one thinking this way.

[G35 Mass]

no explanation.

Maybe they saw your post here, and got the impression your priorities were not in line with what they want out of potential employees....

[retdetsgt]

Wow....so...this is a non-issue now. The agency called me today and said they have decided they are not going to hire me, no explanation. I know the SO and commissioners have been in a heated battle for a while now and I think this may be a result of it.

Probably the best thing in the long run. The whole place sounds kinda shaky. Good luck in finding a better one.

[greg72982]

Sounds like you've already had your first taste of one of the biggest beauties of police work: politics.

[Excalibur]

Maybe they saw your post here, and got the impression your priorities were not in line with what they want out of potential employees....

I have thought about this as well, but don't believe it is the case.


I talked to my buddy who works for this agency and he said all they told him was my background, but the investigator told me that it was not my background. I also find it hard to believe as I have nothing in my background and I have never failed a background from any other agency including DPS (Highway Patrol) which took quite a while and was more in depth than this 2 day "investigation" they did. I have attempted to call the Chief Deputy who has been my contact but everytime I call he is in a meeting or out of the office, and I have not had a return call yet.

[mcsap]

In the hiring phase , the LAST thing you should be bugging people about is " do I get a take home car ? "

Your statements here bordered on nagging them about it. Work on getting the job and worry about stuff like that later.

If they offered you the job WITHOUT the take home, would you have accepted it ?