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Subject: Vehicular Allowance |
Series Number 301 07 Effective Date
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The purpose of this
order is to establish the procedures for the payment of allowances for the use
of privately owned vehicles in connection with official police business. This
order consists of the following parts:
PART I
Responsibilities and Procedures for
Members of the
Department
A. Personnel Authorized to Receive Vehicular
Allowances.
B. Description of Vehicular Allowance.
C. Vouchers.
D. Traffic Accidents While on Police Business.
PART II Responsibilities
and Procedures for
Supervisory and Command Personnel
A. Officials.
B. Commanding Officers.
C. Director, Office of Finance and Management.
PART I
A. Personnel Authorized to Receive Vehicular
Allowances.
Members
who utilize their privately owned motor vehicles for police business may be
authorized to receive allowances subject to the limitations for such usage. The
use of privately owned vehicles for police business must first be authorized by
the member’s commanding officer.
B. Description of Automobile and Motorcycle
Allowances.
1. Organizational
elements having members assigned to duties for which the use
of privately owned vehicles have been authorized shall be allocated
allowances with which to reimburse members so assigned.
2. Automobile
allowances shall be computed at 21 cents per mile, with no single allowance
exceeding S75.0O per month. Motorcycle allowances shall be computed at 12 cents
per mile, with no single allowance exceeding $40.00 per month.
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3. An
allowance may be divided among several members as long as the authorized
maximum monthly individual allowance and the element’s aggregate
monthly total are not exceeded.
4. Vehicle allowances will be paid monthly.
C. Vouchers.
1. Requests for payment of allowances shall be:
a. Submitted
to the Finance and Management Division monthly on a FMD Form 432 (Travel and
Related Expenses Voucher);
b. Signed
by the member; and
c. Initialed
by the commanding officer.
2. No tenths of miles shall be reported.
3. The
daily odometer readings and the daily miles traveled shall be (rounded to the
nearest mile).
4. When
a member of the department changes vehicles during the month, thereby
disrupting the numerical sequence of the odometer reading, an asterisk shall be
placed alongside the daily odometer reading and a notation placed at the bottom
of the FMS Form 432 indicating that different vehicles were used during the
month.
5. Personnel
authorized to receive vehicle allowances are reminded that Commissioner’s Order
No. 65-553 provides in part that:
“All
privately owned vehicles utilized by employees of the District of Columbia on
official business for the use of which vehicles said employees are reimbursed
or compensated by the District of Columbia, shall be equipped with two front
seat belts or safety harnesses...”
“Whenever
any employee of the District of Columbia, in connection with the performance of
his/her duties, rides in the front or rear seat of any motor vehicle authorized
by the Mayor or his designated agent to be used in the performance of such
duties, such employee shall fasten about himself/herself the seat belt or
safety harness provided for his/her protection and shall keep such belt or
safety harness fastened while the vehicle is being operated.”
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6. All
privately owned vehicles utilized pursuant to this order shall adhere to all
applicable provisions of the Highways and Traffic Regulations pertaining to
vehicle safety, registration, and inspection.
7. The
appropriation number of the FMS Form 432 shall be released yearly by the Office
of Finance and Management.
8. Where
mileage traveled exceeds the $75.00 maximum for automobiles or $40.00 maximum
for motorcycles, the FMS 432 shall be prepared to reflect this fact.
9. Each member receiving a vehicle allowance
shall:
a. Keep
a record for each duty day which shows the odometer readings at the beginning
and end of the tour of duty;
b. Note
each trip made on official business Including the destination(s) and mileage;
and
c. Keep
this record in a bound book which shall be retained by the member for three (3)
months from the date of the last entry.
10. Each
member authorized to receive a vehicle allowance shall be required to record
his/her daily activities, on a PD Form 775 (Daily Vehicle Inspection and
Activity Report).
D. Traffic Accidents While on Police Business.
1. Public
Law 86—654, titled District of Columbia Employee Non— Liability Act,” approved
July 14, 1960, outlines the responsibility of the District of Columbia in
suits or claims arising out of the negligent operation of vehicles owned or
controlled by it, and operated by its employees in the performance of their
official duties, to relieve such employee(s) of liability to third persons in
such cases.
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2. Section
6 of Public Law 86-654, which explains the use of privately owned vehicles on
official business, states in part:
“...After
the effective date of the Act, no civil action or proceeding shall be brought
or be maintained against an employee of the District for loss of or damage to
property or for personal injury, including death, resulting from the operation
by such employee of any vehicle if it be alleged in the complaint or developed
in a later stage of the proceeding that the employee was acting within the
scope of his office or employment, unless the District shall, in an action
brought against it for such damage or injury including death, specifically deny
liability on the ground that the employee was not, at the time and place
alleged, acting within the scope of his office or employment.”
3. This
public law has been interpreted by the Corporation Counsel to mean that the
District of Columbia Government Is responsible for any damage to property or
personal injury caused a third person by the negligent operation of a privately
owned vehicle by a District employee, while actually in the performance of
his/her official duties, but not for damage to any property of the employee.
4. Members
of the force who become involved in an accident while operating their
privately owned vehicles in the performance of their official duties shall
immediately request that an official respond to the scene.
a. If
directed by the official on the scene to make a report, the member shall notify
an Accident Investigation Unit (AIU) to respond.
b. The
MU shall be responsible for investigating the accident and for preparing all
necessary forms to include PD Form 10 (Traffic Accident Report), CC Form 3
(Vehicle Accident Report), and DOT Form 40-1 (Safety Responsibility Form), as
applicable.
PART II
A. Officials.
The
official designated by the commanding officer to check the member’s record book
Shall:
1. Verify the odometer readings on a monthly
basis;
2. Date
and initial the member’s book at the time of verification; and
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3. Ensure
that all authorized automobiles are equipped with safety belts or harnesses.
Motorcycles are exempt from the requirement of seat belts and harnesses.
B. Commanding Officers shall:
a. Maintain
a list of personnel under their command who have been authorized to receive a
vehicle allowance.
b. Not
be limited to the number of personnel authorized to receive an allowance as
long as the element remains within its monthly budget for this activity, and
the recipients qualify under the procedures set forth in this order.
c. Ensure
that a Form OBFM-A1 (Authorization-Inner City Travel) is forwarded to the
Office of Finance and Management when a member is given an assignment for which
the use of his/her privately-owned vehicle has been authorized.
d. Have
an official of his/her command check the member’s record book and verify the
odometer reading at least once each month.
e. Forward
all vouchers for his/her organization in one group and attach a recapitulation
sheet listing the name, assignment, and amount of the voucher for each officer
requesting a vehicle allowance to the Office of Finance and Management on or
before the fifth day of each month.
2. Vouchers
which exceed the $75.00 maximum, or which collectively exceed the element’s
total monthly allocation, shall be returned to the responsible commanding officer
for adjustment.
C. Director, Office of Finance and Management
shall:
1. Assign a voucher ID number to the Form
OBFM-A1
2. Prepare
a photocopy of the Form OBFM—A1 and forward it to the originating element.
MTT:RMD:jtw
General Order No 301.7
(Revised 3—25-83)