Wednesday, March 30, 2011
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An amendment to the state transportation budget could save Ohio police thousands of dollars in personnel costs by increasing how much property damage is required for a vehicle crash to trigger a police investigation.
The Dayton Daily News reports the change would raise the threshold from $400 to $1,000 if Gov. John Kasich approves the budget. Police would respond to crashes but investigate only if a vehicle has more than $1,000 in damage or if someone was hurt.
Dayton’s police chief advocated the change, saying it could free up officers more quickly and reduce overtime and office costs by eliminating extra hours and paperwork devoted to hundreds of minor crashes.
An Ohio Insurance Institute official says the $1,000 mark would put Ohio on par with many other states.