Highway Patrol cuts costs by $600,000

The largest change for the patrol this year has been the development of software that allows the agency to conduct in-house investigation scans. The patrol no longer will send its 100 yearly scans to a data center for up to $5,000 per scan, resulting in estimated savings of $500,000 per year.

The department also has invested $20,000 in a body repair shop so that patrol vehicles with minor damages can be repaired and painted in-house. Savings are expected to reach $20,000 in the first year.

The patrol purchased nearly $3,000 worth of digital mini-recorders that are used for gathering evidence in undercover drug transactions. Cost savings for the discs for the year are estimated at $11,750.

The production of safety and education films in the past has cost the department up to $36,000 for each project. The patrol spent $1,000 in video editing software and equipment that allows films to be produced in-house.

The department also paid $1,799 for a subscription to PartsBase.com, which will allow the patrol to receive competitive pricing for helicopter parts.

Other cost-saving efforts in the department include a statewide cell phone plan for all employees that eliminates pagers and fees charged for overused minutes on separate plans, and the distribution of manuals via CD-ROM rather than printed copies, saving $7,068 in printing costs.