Law enforcement agencies have stopped idling their patrol cars after Aspen Public Radio reported in March the engines were running unattended for long periods of time.
Top brass sat the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office and the Aspen Police Department told their staff to end the practice. Bill Linn is assistant police chief.
“We sent a very strong message to everybody and said, look, you cannot be idling cars. This is against policy and don’t do it,” he says.
Police chief Richard Pryor said at the time the story aired officers needed the ability to respond quickly to an emergency call. And if it’s cold or snowing, they want to keep the vehicle's warm.
While the department is exempt from the idling law, city environmental health officials want law enforcement agencies to set an example for the public.
Carolyn Sackariason, Aspen Public Radio News