Why do police squads keep running?

One of our Commissioners
asked me this week why our
deputies often leave our squad
cars running. He explained he’s
been asked this question by
voters in his district. It’s a great
question. Here are the reasons:
 
Squad cars today are way
different than they were back in
the day. When my dad (Bob Rose)
worked for the Kasson Police
Department and later with the
Dodge County Sheriff’s Office,
things were a lot simpler in
squad cars – a radio and radar...
that was it.
 
Today, our squad cars are a
state-of-the-art rolling office. We
have a mobile computer system
with printer, a squad car camera
system, wireless equipment,
rechargeable electronic
equipment (cameras, flashlights,
microphones, etc.) and chargers,
light equipment, and our
emergency medical equipment.
 
There are many reasons
why we need to keep our squad
cars running, especially in
extreme conditions – both cold
and hot. Keeping squad cars
climate controlled is important,
not for officer comfort, but to
keep our staff safe and protect
climate-sensitive equipment and
emergency medical supplies.
 
OFFICER SAFETY – The
in-car camera system in our
squad cars records all audio and
video of everything going on
inside the squad car and outside.
These camera systems record all
interaction with the public, both
on patrol and in the back seat
of the squad car. They protect
both the public and our staff
from false claims and liability.
When our vehicles are shut
down for more than 10 minutes,
the camera system shuts down
to conserve battery power. When
the squad car is started back
up, it takes a couple of minutes
to boot up the camera system
and log the system back on.
When our deputies get called to
emergencies (domestics, driving
complaints, medicals, etc.), every
minute counts when it comes to
the public’s safety. We can’t delay
our response to make sure all
of our squad car equipment is
back on and logged into. In the
litigious environment we live
in today, having these cameras
running at all times is extremely
important.
 
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
– Here in Dodge County our
deputies and officers are the
first responders for medicals. We
carry oxygen and defibrillators
for medicals. Cold O2 should
not be distributed because it’s
not good for fragile tissues in
bronchial and lungs. O2 should
also never be stored in hot
vehicles as they can become
unstable and explosive.
Defibrillators must be stored
in temperatures from 32 degrees
to 122 degrees. Any more and
they won’t perform properly and
may cause battery problems.
Temperature extremes can also
cause issues with the pads.
 
NARCAN – The medicine
we use with opioid overdose
victims is called Narcan. It is
very susceptible to temperature
issues and needs to be stored
in a temperature range from
59-77 degrees. Every squad car
carries this medicine and has
the potential of saving lives with
its deployment.
 
MOBILE COMPUTER
SYSTEM - Laptops are running
constantly in our squad cars.
While the cold temperature
itself isn’t as much of an issue
anymore with the new laptops,
condensation can become an
issue with a vehicle interior
that is cycling warm and
cold. The heat is much more
problematic with today’s laptops,
especially since they sit near the
windshield exposed to sunlight.
In the same way chocolate
bars melt, leather seats become
scalding and smart phones
overheat when locked inside a
car in the sun for too long, the
computers and other electronic
equipment our squad cars are
outfitted with these days can be
negatively impacted by extreme
temperatures.
 
In addition, especially
this time of year, it’s vitally
important that windshields are
kept clear when our deputies
and officers are dispatched to
an emergency call. The only
sure way to make sure the
windows are clear, is to keep the
temperature controlled in the
squad car by leaving it running.
 
The cost of leaving these
squad cars running is a small
price to pay when you look at the
overall picture. Our primary
focus is to make sure our staff
has the ability to respond
quickly and safely with the
necessary equipment to handle
any potential emergency to the
best of our ability. There are too
many variables for us to not keep
the temperature constant in our
squad cars.
 
Hopefully this better explains
why we often leave our squad
cars running. Please feel free to
contact me any time if you have
any questions about our Office,
our policies, or our procedures.
We take our responsibility of
operating within the budget set
by the commissioners, and our
responsibility of maintaining
the safety of our staff and public
very seriously.
Have a safe and Happy New
Year everyone. We look forward
to serving you in 2019.
 
Your Sheriff,
Scott
 
Scott Rose just completed his
first term as sheriff of Dodge
County. He begins his second
term this month.