Take-home vehicle
Encyclopedia
A take-home vehicle is a vehicle
issued to an employee by one's employer (such as a private corporation or government agency) that is intended to be used for the purpose of fulfilling one's job duties, but that the employee is also permitted to drive to their residence while off duty. Depending on the employer's policies, the employee may or may not be permitted to use the vehicle while off-duty for non-work-related use.
Take-home vehicles, often considered a perk for their employees, provides the employees the benefit of not requiring their own vehicle for commuting
purposes (thereby sparing them this expense). The employer benefits from having the employee being able to perform their job duties more efficiently.
s they use while on duty. It is considered to be a fringe benefit by the departments. It has been viewed by some departments as a crime-fighting tool, given its cost.
In Sacramento, California
, the issuing of take-home vehicles has come under scrutiny as the city has faced a budget deficit.
In the city of Baltimore
, the use of take-home vehicles by city employees has been questioned due to the distance that city employees drive them to their homes. It was determined in a report that two-thirds of city employees drive their vehicles outside city limits, some more than 100 mi (160 km) from the city, and the cost to taxpayers, which included fuel, was high.
Baltimore's mayor Sheila Dixon
has also been criticized for having three tax-funded take-home vehicles parked at her house
In Dallas, the city was having trouble obtaining data in attempting to determine the cost of take-home vehicles to taxpayers.
The city of Los Angeles
was criticized for issuing take-home vehicles to utility employees while raising rates to customers, though the city stated it would be a minuscule part of the budget.
The city of Evansville, Indiana
reduced the number of take-home vehicles offered to city employees, but allowed public safety employees to keep theirs.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
issued to an employee by one's employer (such as a private corporation or government agency) that is intended to be used for the purpose of fulfilling one's job duties, but that the employee is also permitted to drive to their residence while off duty. Depending on the employer's policies, the employee may or may not be permitted to use the vehicle while off-duty for non-work-related use.
Take-home vehicles, often considered a perk for their employees, provides the employees the benefit of not requiring their own vehicle for commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
purposes (thereby sparing them this expense). The employer benefits from having the employee being able to perform their job duties more efficiently.
Usage by police departments
Police departments are among frequent participants in take-home vehicle programs, allowing officers to take home the police carPolice car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
s they use while on duty. It is considered to be a fringe benefit by the departments. It has been viewed by some departments as a crime-fighting tool, given its cost.
Issues with take-home vehicles
When issued by a government agency, concern has been brought up by citizens and advocates over taxpayer money used to fund take-home vehicles. This has led some cities to cutting or reducing the number of employees to whom vehicles are offered.In Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the issuing of take-home vehicles has come under scrutiny as the city has faced a budget deficit.
In the city of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, the use of take-home vehicles by city employees has been questioned due to the distance that city employees drive them to their homes. It was determined in a report that two-thirds of city employees drive their vehicles outside city limits, some more than 100 mi (160 km) from the city, and the cost to taxpayers, which included fuel, was high.
Baltimore's mayor Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...
has also been criticized for having three tax-funded take-home vehicles parked at her house
In Dallas, the city was having trouble obtaining data in attempting to determine the cost of take-home vehicles to taxpayers.
The city of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was criticized for issuing take-home vehicles to utility employees while raising rates to customers, though the city stated it would be a minuscule part of the budget.
The city of Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
reduced the number of take-home vehicles offered to city employees, but allowed public safety employees to keep theirs.