Drug offenders are paying their dues and saving tax payers money by helping police officers at the Oxford Police Department (OPD) get more use out of their patrol cars.

Oxford Police Chief Stephen Schwein said the Fleet Management Program, which began in 1997, saves taxpayers money by increasing the length of time a car can be used. Schwein said officers and detectives take their patrol cars and unmarked police cars home with them and care for them on their own.

"Cars last twice as long as most departments," Schwein said. "Our cars last us a minimum of eight years and some last up to 10 years."

While taxpayers pay for the majority of police vehicles, some are obtained through other means, Schwein said.

"We have some vehicles in the fleet paid for by the Law Enforcement Trust Fund," Schwein said.

The Law Enforcement Trust Fund is made up of fines paid to the police from drug and alcohol offenders, according to Schwein.

Schwein said the OPD received one car last year from the fund and will receive another this year.

According to Schwein, most patrol cars are Ford Crown Victorias and following the initial purchase, the labor costs to dress them with the proper policing equipment is $1,500 to $2,000. Schwein estimates the OPD saves approximately $35,000 per car purchased out of the Law Enforcement Trust Fund.

According to Schwein, recent drug activity and drug busts in the area have increased the amount of money available in this fund.

"Over the last two to three years we've seen significantly more activity," Schwein said.

Schwein said other cars owned by OPD were cars impounded due to their involvement in drug offenses.

Patrol cars are among the majority of vehicles the OPD uses. However, the department's other vehicles, like Ford Expeditions and Ford Explorers, get special treatment.

According to Schwein, the two Expeditions and one Explorer each have four-wheel drive for use during snow emergencies. These vehicles are assigned to supervisors and are not driven as many miles as patrol cars.

This year, OPD will receive four new cars, one from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund and three from tax funding. Schwein said the department will purchase these vehicles under the State of Ohio Bid Contract, which provides a unique advantage to police departments by exclusively providing them with a large number of cars.

"We have the purchasing power of hundreds of cars," Schwein said.

In the past, a large pool of patrol cars was shared by all of the officers. Sgt. Jim Squance said the current vehicle program is much different from the previously used pool of patrol cars because cars are driven for less time and mileage per day, which increases the life of the vehicle.

"We get a lot more wear from the cars," Squance said. "With the old system some of the cars were driven for 24 hours straight."

Squance and Schwein both agreed cars are also better maintained under the program.

"It's your car, so you're responsible for it," Schwein said. "We pay for the maintenance, of course, but they are responsible for making sure their oil is changed on time and run it through the car wash."

According to Squance, many police departments are using or looking into similar programs in order to cut costs and increase the lifetime of their vehicles.

"We have received calls from all over the U.S. about our program," Schwein said.

Several departments across the country are implementing similar programs to OPD's in order to cut costs.