Gas prices force troopers to cut back driving

The Iowa State Patrol has been doing less patrolling because gas prices are so high. Patrol Sergeant Robert Hanson says Iowa’s four-hundred troopers drive about 35-thousand miles a day.Hanson says troopers have been told to spend at least half-an-hour each day sitting with their cars off, watching for speeders rather than driving around looking for scofflaws. He says the move will let them stay within their budget before the fiscal year ends at the end of this month.Last year, troopers drove their Ford Crown Victoria’s almost 14-million miles, and used about eight-hundred-80 thousand gallons of gas. The state owns over seven-thousand vehicles, and the fleet manager expects to make some changes if gas prices remain high.