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Cost-Benefit Analysis of Tacoma's Assigned Vehicle Program

University of North Carolina

The Police Department's Assigned Vehicle Program (AVP) in Tacoma was adopted in 1999. In 2004, the city decided to make an economic evaluation of it. Focus groups preceded development of a questionnaire about current and changed usage of police vehicles since inception of the AVP. A second questionnaire explored citizen attitudes toward the AVP. The evaluation addressed two questions: (a) Is the present AVP better than using pool vehicles? and (b) Is it better to let officers take vehicles home when off duty or should they be kept in the city? The analysis found that the benefits of assigning vehicles and allowing them to be taken home far outweigh costs; police productivity is significantly enhanced, and free parking at officers' homes is much less expensive than parking provided by the city. The study methodology is a prototype for similar benefit-cost evaluations.

Key Words: Tacoma Police Department • assigned vehicles • benefit-cost analysis

Police Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 2, 192-217 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1098611105283126


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