Selected police and fire departments in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties were asked to list the employees who take home government vehicles. Here's a sampling of their responses:

Selected police and fire departments in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties were asked to list the employees who take home government vehicles. Here's a sampling of their responses:
Beaver Police Department: Chief Carl N. Frost said the K-9 officer uses a marked car while a detective and undercover drug officer drive unmarked cars. Frost said the car used for drug task force activities is leased and the township is reimbursed for the lease. At the end of the lease, the car will belong to the township. An agency-issued uniform jacket or vest with insignia must be "at the ready" to wear if exiting the vehicle to take police action. The policy prohibits tank tops or T-shirts with vulgar expressions, thong shoes or other inappropriate attire. Employees on vacation or leave or out of town more than five working days must park vehicle at the police department.
Boardman Police Department: Township Administrator Jason Loree provided records that show 10 marked vehicles, including one used by the Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer and two used by K-9 officers, are taken home. The chief and 19 other officers have unmarked take-home vehicles. No cars go outside the township.
Campbell Police Department: Police Chief Gus Sarigianopolous said no officers take home police department cars.
Canfield Police Department: Only the K-9 officer, who transports a dog, drives a marked take-home car.
Columbiana Police Department: Chief John Krawchyk drives home an unmarked vehicle.
Columbiana Sheriff's Department: Sheriff Dave Smith and four detective sergeants drive home unmarked vehicles while nine deputy sheriffs, four sergeants, one lieutenant and one chief deputy drive home marked cars. The employees live in Columbiana County. All vehicles taken home are for emergency call-out.
Girard Police Department: Chief Frank Bigowsky said all government cars are available for take-home use. He and a detective drive home unmarked cars. Ten officers drive marked cruisers home. The cars are used for police-related business and side security jobs only, not for personal reasons. Bigowsky said two officers who live outside the city are not permitted take-home cars.
Liberty Police Department: Police Chief Anthony Slifka, a captain and two detective sergeants drive home unmarked cars. Eleven patrol officers and two sergeants drive marked cruisers home. All the officers live in the township. Four officers who live outside the township are not permitted to have take-home cars.
Mahoning County Sheriff's Department: Sheriff Randall A. Wellington listed 28 marked take-home vehicles (including six motorcycles) and 20 unmarked take-home cars. According to sheriff department policy, employees with the rank of lieutenant and above, as well as others designated by the sheriff who are assigned take-home vehicles, are subject to 24-hour on-call status "to respond to a crisis and the operational needs of this office." Some deputies have both a take-home car and a take-home motorcycle. The motorcycles are leased. Departmental policy states that vehicles must be garaged or parked off the street. (The Vindicator consistently found an unmarked sheriff's car parked in the street at the West Side home of the department's fiscal officer, who has a two-car garage).
Poland Village Police Department: Chief Russell Beatty Jr. said no government vehicles are driven back and forth to work or for personal use.
Salem Fire Department: Chief Walt Greenameyer is the only employee who uses a take-home vehicle, a marked Jeep. He said the vehicle is used to respond to fires during his off-duty hours.
Struthers Police Department: Chief Robert Norris said he and two detectives take home unmarked cars. The detectives are assigned to task forces.
Trumbull County Sheriff's Department: Sheriff Thomas Altiere said each of his commissioned officers is issued a vehicle and permitted to drive it home. Except for an officer who lives "a block into Mahoning County," the rest live in Trumbull County, he said. The sheriff and seven officers drive home unmarked cars while 29 others drive marked vehicles. Employees are not permitted to use the cars when they are "off the clock" unless they are working a pre-approved off-duty security job. If working an off-duty job, they must charge the private entity 10 per hour for the county vehicle and submit a check to the auditor.
Warren Fire Department: Fire Chief Ken Nussle uses a marked take-home car. As chief, he responds to fire emergencies, natural disasters and vehicle accidents that involve extrication. He said the car has a remote encoder to activate tornado sirens in the event the main equipment fails.
Warren Police Department: Police Chief John Mandopoulos and 23 ranking officers have unmarked take-home cars. Three marked take-home cars are used by K-9 officers. Sgt. Jerry Galford said a few officers who can take a car home choose not to. He said seven officers who live outside the city have take-home privileges. The department's policy for officers who take home cars, called the "one-on-one car plan" states the chief decides who takes cars home. The purpose of the plan is to increase visibility and demonstrate to citizens that police are ready to respond when needed.
Youngstown Fire Department: Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. drives an unmarked car home, as do the two arson investigators, one of whom lives in Austintown. The chief inspector uses a marked car. Other inspectors take home a car when on call. Assigned vehicles must be returned to the motor pool for storage if the employee is on vacation or takes a leave of absence for more than two days.
Youngstown Police Department: The fleet list shows cars assigned to Police Chief Jimmy Hughes and 76 officers. The mayor, YPD chaplain and garage foreman also have an assigned vehicle. With few exceptions, officers assigned a vehicle take them home.
Source: Representatives of departments listed