School police officers say cars are a menace

Philadelphia school police officers know they have a risky job - calming tough hallways, patrolling dangerous blocks, responding to middle-of-the-night break-ins.

But they didn't bargain for vehicles that could put them in harm's way, they say.

Most of the district's 412 officers are stationed in and around city public schools, but 50 are on roving, 24-hour patrol throughout the city. They're mobilized when incidents happen inside and outside district buildings, and are responsible for night watch.

But union officials and some officers say the patrol cars they drive are problem-plagued, with malfunctioning air bags, flashing check-engine lights, leaking fluids, bad tires, inoperable turn signals, and other issues.

"The vehicles are unsafe, and, additionally, the poor quality of the vehicles impedes these officers from doing their jobs," said Bob Bedard, a spokesman for the school police officers union. "Duct tape is the only thing holding some of these cars together."

District officials refuted that, saying they dedicate a separate garage with eight mechanics to the district's non-bus fleet, including the 46 school police cars.

"We will not release a car out to the fleet that is not safe, period," said Fernando Gallard, a Philadelphia School District spokesman. "We are aggressive in maintaining our cars."

If there's a problem with a car, officers and supervisors are directed to take it out of service and schedule it for repair, Gallard said.

Some cars are more than 10 years old and have high mileage, he said. That's by design.

"We keep a fleet as long as we can," Gallard said. "We want to save money for the taxpayer. We want to get every single mile out of a car that we can, as long as it's safe."

Michael Lodise, head of the School Police Association of Philadelphia, said he first brought the issue to the district's attention last year and has had "numerous meetings" on the condition of the cars. He said he was told the district has fallen behind on its replacement schedule for financial reasons.

James Golden, district security chief, said that although it hasn't bought new cars annually, the district was not behind on its replacement schedule. He recently ordered 19 new cars to be delivered "hopefully very soon."

Each medium-size SUV costs about $20,000 through a bulk-purchasing program, Golden said.

The cars "run 24-7," Lodise said.

"They're always on the road. You put the officers in danger when your vehicles are not properly maintained," he said.

There are some newer vehicles in the fleet, officers said, but they're reserved for supervisors, locked away at night.

"They're denied to the people who go out and do the most dangerous patrol jobs," Lodise said.

Golden confirmed that the newest cars are given to supervisors.

"It's a way that we rotate our fleet. Because of the 24/7 patrol function, you put a brand-new car into the fleet and you get less longevity out of it," he said.

On a recent day, School Police Officer Michael Alvaro hit the road for his patrol shift in a GMC Jimmy with its front bumper hanging off and check-engine light on. The car wouldn't come out of second gear, Alvaro said.

"I asked for a new car, and was told I couldn't have it," said Alvaro, who patrolled the busy SEPTA terminal at Broad and Olney near several city schools on that day. "They don't understand that this is my office for eight hours."

Alvaro, a district officer for the last nine years, has twice been brought up on disciplinary charges for car-related issues, he said. He's accused of deliberately damaging vehicles and arguing with a supervisor about the condition of cars, he said.

He's innocent and has been targeted because he's outspoken, he said.

Alvaro and others have been trapped in cars whose locks have malfunctioned, Lodise said. Cars go out with electrical problems and brake lights on, with holes in the floor and seats that won't move.

"We had an officer who got in an accident and hit the median on I-95, but his air bags never came off," Lodise said. "They malfunctioned. He was banged up pretty good."

Back and knee problems are keeping Officer Martin Wimbush, a 20-year veteran of the school district force, from working, he said. He blames his health woes on the cars he drove around in for eight hours at a time, especially over packed snow and potholes during the recent spate of bad weather.

"The seats have no support," he said. "The condition of the cars is terrible."

District officials insist the fleet is safe, if not pretty.

"Many of us with older cars know they have wear and tear," Gallard said.