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Sep 22, 2009 7:07 pm US/Pacific
Expensive Police Vehicle Illegal To Drive In CA
STOCKTON (CBS13) ―
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The $500,000 vehicle is not legal to drive on California roadways.
CBS
A new and expensive mobile law enforcement command center that officials say is critical to emergency response in San Joaquin County is illegal to drive on California roadways, forcing officials to spend more taxpayer dollars to correct the problem.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department said the $500,000 vehicle is designed to coordinate emergency responses in natural disasters and fast-paced criminal investigations, but it cannot be used because it is too heavy.
The two-axle vehicle weighs about 2,060 pounds too much under California law, and the manufacturer will have to add another axle to hold up the weight and make it street-legal.
The vehicle was built in Ohio, where it is legal to drive on roadways, and was in use for about six months on local roadways until the Sheriff's office discovered the problem.
"Without the fix, we wouldn't be able to use the vehicle legally on California roadways," said Lt. John Williams of the San Joaquin Sheriff's Department.
Three deputies would have to drive it to Ohio -- a distance of 5,000 miles -- to get the vehicle fixed. The financial cost of the 11-day trip quickly adds up: travel expenses would cost $7,925 and the salaries for the deputies would cost $11,037.
The repairs themselves are covered under the manufacturer's warranty, but the process will still cost $18,962.
Stockton residents were unhappy to hear about the added expenses.
"A waste of money, a waste of taxpayer dollars, a waste of resources," said Stockton resident David Qualls.
Authorities said the vehicle is critical to local law enforcement operations and even state emergencies. Transporting the vehicle to Ohio by train or truck is too expensive, and officials are searching for cheaper methods of performing the repairs.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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