Michigan To Limit Police Response To Combat Depleted Fuel Budget

A Michigan police department is limiting its field response to service calls as record-high gas prices continue to deplete its fuel budget.

Tuesday, the Isabella County Sheriff's Office told Facebook followers the department is "feeling the pain at the pump as well."

"We have exhausted what funds were budgeted for fuel with several months to go before the budget reset," the statement explained.

Sheriff Michael Main has ordered deputies to begin responding to some service calls via telephone, instead of in-person.

"I have instructed the deputies to attempt to manage whatever calls are acceptable over the phone," Main says. "These would be non-in-progress calls, non-life-threatening calls, and calls that do not require evidence collection or documentation."

What could go wrong?

“Deputies will continue to provide patrols to all areas of the county; they will respond to those calls that need to be managed in person," Main goes on to say. "Any call that is in progress with active suspects will involve a response by the deputies. I want to assure the community that safety is our primary goal, and we will continue to respond to those types of calls."

As relayed by The Blaze, the department will have exceeded its fuel budget by over $50,000 when the fiscal year ends on September 30.

We are in for an encouraging summer. Gas prices are well over $5 a gallon, 51 percent of the country says they have “changed or canceled plans for family trips," and police are going to de-escalate some matters over the phone.

#LGB.