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I asked this too, because at a local cruise-in we go to, there are police cars at the first end of the cruise to direct traffic and to keep riff-raff out and I mentioned it to my friends/family that everytime there are police cars setting there running with no one in them for at least 5 hours. I made the comment of what a waste of gas.
Someone said they had to do that, but never said why. I know it would be faster for them to take off, but how long does it take the start an engine?
It depends on whether you have to jump it because the battery is dead from running electronics.
Never been in a patrol car before. No need to. So now someone please tell me just how many electronics, other than a 2 way radio, a radar gun and maybe a laptop are they having to run while idling? And how much of an amperage draw are we talking here?
I suppose it's cheaper to use tax payer dollars on fuel and increased engine maintenance as opposed to investing in solar panels and a few extra batteries?
Never been in a patrol car before. No need to. So now someone please tell me just how many electronics, other than a 2 way radio, a radar gun and maybe a laptop are they having to run while idling? And how much of an amperage draw are we talking here?
The emergency lights suck a lot of power. Depending on the setup used, that alone can drain a battery in a very short amount of time.
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I suppose it's cheaper to use tax payer dollars on fuel and increased engine maintenance as opposed to investing in solar panels and a few extra batteries?
Just a thought.
I'd say it's more like there aren't any other viable options.
Never been in a patrol car before. No need to. So now someone please tell me just how many electronics, other than a 2 way radio, a radar gun and maybe a laptop are they having to run while idling? And how much of an amperage draw are we talking here?
I suppose it's cheaper to use tax payer dollars on fuel and increased engine maintenance as opposed to investing in solar panels and a few extra batteries?
Just a thought.
I don't know amperage, but it's running lights, cameras, oftentimes a full computer set-up...even with their heavy-duty electrical systems, the battery would be dead in a hour without running the engine.
Never been in a patrol car before. No need to. So now someone please tell me just how many electronics, other than a 2 way radio, a radar gun and maybe a laptop are they having to run while idling? And how much of an amperage draw are we talking here?
I suppose it's cheaper to use tax payer dollars on fuel and increased engine maintenance as opposed to investing in solar panels and a few extra batteries?
Just a thought.
Besides those things you've mentioned, there are also cameras, P.A. Systems, automatic license plate readers, and plenty of lights (though the lights aren't used all the time). Their radios are much more than just a simple two-way unit, though they have those, too, usually strapped to their belt. The radios in their vehicles can be used as a repeater for the portable units they carry. I'm sure in this day and age they also have the same types of electronics that others have in their vehicles, too, such as GPS, Cell Phones, Video, battery chargers, and so on. It's probably much easier to leave the vehicle running than to have to shut everything down to prevent draining of the batteries.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some law enforcement vehicles are used for K-9 patrols, so there are dogs inside. This alone is reason enough for A/C, and a requirement to keep the vehicle running.
I suppose it's cheaper to use tax payer dollars on fuel and increased engine maintenance as opposed to investing in solar panels and a few extra batteries?
A gallon or two of gas consumed to power essential communications equipment would be dirt cheap when compared to the inevitable lawsuits resulting from police non-response and missed call situations...
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Originally Posted by jc76
Because the gas is paid for with our tax money. If it came out of the cops pocket he'd shut it off fast.
It does come out of the cop's pocket because they pay taxes too.
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Originally Posted by little elmer
Because the general public is 5X smarter than they are.
There are legitimate reasons why cops do things you're not aware of. But if an officer was ever truly candid with you, he'd probably tell you sometimes they do things just because it's fun to irritate people like you.
That all makes sense, but I wonder about the engines... not sure about the newest cars, but on all of the 80s and 90s cars I have owned, it clearly states in the owners guides to not allow the engines idle for more than 10 minutes, because it could damage the emissions control systems. Also as the car ages and the cooling system weakens, seems like it would cause the engine to overheat. I guess by then though it would be time to retire the car.
I know. Its so they can get to the donut shop in a hurry if their donut warmer runs out of goodies. Nobody else said it so I did. lol
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I know it would be faster for them to take off, but how long does it take the start an engine?
