Fleet Management

FOR MOST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCIES, THE costs related to the purchasing, equipping, operating and maintaining of fleets is the largest single recurring cost, outside that of personnel. The cost of acquiring vehicles, the costs associated with equipping and maintaining these vehicles, and escalating fuel costs have created difficulties for many departments— including police. In 1991, it was announced that Victoria Police had taken a number of cost-cutting measures, which included requirements for detectives to leave their vehicles at the office and for general duties vehicles to spend time stationary whilst on patrol to reduce the use of fuel. Faced with reduced or tighter budgets, which have resulted in ever-increasing operation constraints for departments, administrators are confronted with the need to minimise the cost associated with operating fleets. There are a number of measures which can be taken in an attempt to reduce costs and these include: