CPD feeling the gas price pinch

By Howell Dennis

CITY EDITOR

CROWLEY – Everybody it seems has been complaining (understandably) about the skyrocketing price of gasoline which has been flirting with the $4.00 mark for the past few weeks. The rides to work and the additional cost of a summer vacation have been among the worries of those who have been feeling the crunch. Not to belittle these concerns, which of course affect just about everyone who owns a vehicle, but consider those who spend nearly their entire day in their cars patrolling the streets of Crowley.

“Oh yeah, we’re definitely been feeling the pinch,” said Crowley Chief of Police K.P. Gibson. “By no means has it affected the services we provide to our citizens, and we definitely won’t be cutting back.”

“But it’s something that I have to keep an eye on,” he added.

According to Gibson, the department was 27% over their gas budget during the month of May. As previously mentioned, the drastic fuel increase will not in any way affect the services Gibson’s squad provides but it has caused him some concern.

“We aren’t one of those departments that depends on traffic tickets to supplement our budget,” said Gibson.

Gibson has taken a few steps to help conserve fuel for his squad cars.

“We have cut down on our officers using their vehicles for personal use,” he said. “I don’t mind an officer making a simple trip to the store, but in so far as things like using their car on their days off we have had to put a limit on that.”