Police officers react to luxury patrol vehicles! 'Maintenance is too expensive'

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya's luxury cars, seized from gangs, are drawing reactions from police officers.

"THESE VEHICLES HAVE HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION"

Sözcü newspaper columnist Saygı Öztürk stated that police personnel do not want to use the luxury cars seized from certain gangs and allocated to the police by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, noting, "Because this carries a heavy responsibility." A police officer on duty in Istanbul explained the reason as follows:

"The General Directorate of Security only takes out mandatory highway traffic insurance for patrol vehicles. This insurance only covers damage to the other party's vehicle up to 120 thousand TL. If damage occurs to the police vehicle, the police officer has to pay for it. This is because the General Directorate of Security does not take out comprehensive insurance (kasko) for patrol vehicles due to a lack of budget. Even if there were a budget, insurance companies do not easily provide comprehensive coverage for high-risk professional vehicles used by different drivers on 24-hour duty. Furthermore, these vehicles have high fuel consumption and their periodic maintenance is very expensive," he wrote.

Noting that the originality of the vehicles has already been compromised and roof lights have been installed, Öztürk carried the following statements of the officer serving in the Istanbul Police Department to his column: "When a police officer has an accident with a patrol vehicle while on duty, they immediately perform an alcohol test, and even if they are found not at fault according to the accident report, an administrative investigation is opened against them for damaging state property. Patrol vehicles are assigned to the police officers who use them. All responsibility is placed on them, but despite this responsibility, no additional payment is made."