In 1999, we recommended that the Florida Highway Patrol avoid $842,036 in hiring costs and save $833,823 annually by
- hiring civilians for court liaison, polygraph examiner, and public information officer positions;
- modifying the dispatcher dress code;
- using a networked garage company;
- changing to a single standard color for patrol cars; and
- assigning sedans instead of pursuit vehicles to administrative staff.
These savings are still achievable. However, FHP has realized only $9,159 per year by partially implementing one recommendation. The patrol has begun issuing sedans instead of pursuit vehicles to administrative staff, but it has failed to follow the other recommendations.
Furthermore, the patrol needs to establish a demonstrable link between new trooper positions and measurable outcomes such as shorter response times, decreased crashes, and reduced drunk driving.
What were our earlier findings?
Report No. 98-87 Justification Review of the Florida Highway Patrol, published in June 1999.
Which Government Program Summaries contain related information?
Highway Patrol
What other OPPAGA-related materials are available?
- Report No. 97-47 Review of the Florida Highway Patrol’s Traffic Accident Investigation Activity on Local Roads, published in February 1998.
Copies of this report in print or
alternate accessible format may be obtained by telephone (850/488-0021), by FAX (850/487-9213), in person, or by mail (OPPAGA Report
Production, Claude Pepper Building, Room 312, 111 W. Madison St., Tallahassee,
FL 32399-1475).
e-mail address: oppaga@oppaga.fl.gov