A Legislative Information Review of the Texas Department of Public Safety Page: 21 of 73
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This is in accordance with a universally held tenet regarding the use of a vehicle as
one of the most basic tools employed by a police officer in the performance of law
enforcement duties.
According to the General Services Commission Fleet Management FY '95-96 Bi-
Annual Report, the average cost to operate a DPS vehicle during fiscal year 1996 was
approximately $1,516 including fuel, tires, repairs, preventative maintenance and
fixed costs (average cost amended to correct for fuel error in GSC report). Fixed
costs include annual state inspections and other feet overhead.
The average annual cost to operate vehicles for each position identified in this report
can be arrived at by multiplying the number of vehicles assigned for a position times
the average cost per vehicle as provided by the GSC Fleet Management Report.
All DPS vehicles are purchased with state funds except that in the Criminal Law
Enforcement Division 29 vehicles were purchased with grant funds and 5 vehicles are
lease cars provided to DPS by the Auto Theft Prevention Authority task force
operation.
The average purchase price for a 1997 DPS vehicle was $18,039.
This audit report states that every net reduction of 100 vehicles from the fleet will save
approximately $140,000 per biennium based on analysis of a previous Legislatively
mandated reduction of 99 vehicles in the Motor Vehicle Inspection Service. During
FY '96, 119 Vehicle Inspection civilian employees drove personal vehicles 1,163,679
miles. They were reimbursed at $ .28 per mile for a total cost of $325,830. The cost
per mile for DPS to operate its state owned fleet during FY '96 was $ .203 per mile,
including depreciation. Had the Vehicle Inspection employees driven state owned
vehicles rather than being reimbursed for personal mileage, a savings of $89,604
would have resulted. This example is solely to compare the cost offleet mileage
versus personal mileage reimbursement and does not suggest that vehicle inspection
civilian employees should commute to and from work in feet vehicles.
The 75th Regular Session General Appropriations Act provides by appropriations
rider in Article V that the Department ofPublic Safety shall evaluate vehicle
assignments and make appropriate reductions within a reasonable time. Rider 3
specifically provides that DPS "may certify no more than sixty exceptions to the
prohibition related to the use of a state car for .... commuting to and from work."
This certification refers to a portion of the Department's Annual Financial Report
concerning personnel assigned to the Austin headquarters complex whose duties
require the use of a state vehicle on a full-time basis. DPS Appropriations Rider 4
requires the Department to document the occasions supervisory officers above the
rank of Lieutenant respond to emergency calls requiring departure from the off cer's
private residence or office. The agency will comply with Appropriations Act
mandates.
A LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION REVIEW OF
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AUGUST 1997PAGE 18
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Texas. Office of the State Auditor. A Legislative Information Review of the Texas Department of Public Safety, report, August 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth517746/m1/21/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.