Take-Home Cars Help With Wash. City Crime, Budget

Yakima, Wash., city and police officials say giving each patrol officer a personal police vehicle to take home is paying off, and not just financially, reports the Yakima Herald-Republic .

In addition to boosting a police presence, officials say off-duty officers responding in the vehicles have assisted on several high-profile cases in the past month. Among the cases officials pointed to were the robbery at the Grizzly Espresso stand Feb. 10 and the Jan. 27 abduction of a teenage girl.

Capt. Jeff Schneider, who heads the patrol division, said when police learned the teen was being taken toward Cowiche, they were able to notify two off-duty officers who were able to catch up to the car. He said those officers were 10 miles closer to the car the teen was in than other units in the city.

The car was eventually stopped and the girl was rescued by police, who also apprehended one of the teens accused of abducting her.