Cop car proposal would raise insurance costs

The proposal is part of an agreement County Executive Ike Leggett reached with the Fraternal Order of Police union to secure a pay freeze this year, and would allow officers to drive up to 15 miles outside the county’s borders in their squad cars to conduct personal business.

The 15-mile border extension stretches all the way to West Virginia and includes parts of Northern Virginia.

Office of Management and Budget Director Joseph Beach told the County Council in a memo that state law wouldn’t protect the county if a police officer were found liable for an accident outside of the state. 

Awards for in-state accidents are capped at $200,000 per person and $500,000 per accident, Beach said.

If the county wanted to limit its exposure to claims between $1 million to $3 million, it would need to buy additional insurance at a cost of $200,000 to $300,000 a year, Beach said. The county also may have to contribute an undisclosed amount to its self-insurance fund, Beach said.

The fate of the proposal is uncertain after the County Council opted not to approve it as part of its recently passed budget. The council could reverse itself, if five members approved the proposal.

Council President Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville, is a vocal opponent of the deal and said it would force the county to subsidize the public safety efforts of other counties.

“It’s hard to find someone who thinks that’s a good idea,” Andrews said.

Police union officials could not be reached for comment Friday. But in an earlier interview with The Examiner, they said the proposal was a reasonable benefit for their members and pointed out that police managers, who are not represented by the union, were allowed to drive their patrol vehicles up to 75 miles away from Rockville headquarters.