Instead of raises, Montgomery County Police might get a different kind of bonus: full personal use of their patrol cars off-hours within a 15-mile zone outside the county.
Even better, Montgomery officers would get free gas and maintenance, courtesy of the Montgomery County Police department.
The allowance came about as part of a trade during contract negotiations, in which the union agreed to give up a 4.25 percent cost-of-living raise scheduled to take effect in July, The Washington Post reported.
By cutting out the raises, Montgomery personnel officials expect to save $4.9 million, which will "far outweigh" the cost of the new car policy, according to Human Resources Director Joseph Adler.
Montgomery County expects to face a budget shortfall of more than $550 million this year.
If approved, the personal use patrol car policy would take effect July 1.
