The rising cost of gasoline is affecting crime-fighting efforts in Topeka to some extent, according to Topeka Police Chief Ron Miller. Miller says the police department had budgeted for gasoline this fiscal year at the rate of 2 dollars and 95 cents per gallon. Miller says that figure is obviously not sufficient to pay for gas at current prices:
Miller has recently released first-quarter crime statistics for this year. They indicate that police response times have slipped, according to a public survey. 85 percent of the sample polled said that officers responded to their calls in a timely way. Normally, that number is closer to 92 percent. Miller says the department will be looking to replace some of its aging police car fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles. Those would include hybrids for supervisors and non-emergency responders.