Gas prices have become so high that one Michigan police department says they have “blown through their fuel budget” and cannot respond to all 9-1-1 calls in person. The Daily Caller reported that the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office said the rising gas prices are forcing them to respond to some “non-emergency” 911 calls by phone rather than in-person.
“Isabella County Sheriff’s Office is feeling the pain at the pump as well,” Sheriff Michael Main said in a statement. “We have exhausted what funds were budgeted for fuel with several months to go before the budget reset.”
“I have instructed the deputies to attempt to manage whatever calls are acceptable over the phone. This would be non-in-progress calls, non-life-threatening calls, calls that do not require evidence collection or documentation,” he said.
The national average for a gallon of gas surpassed $5 a gallon Thursday, an all-time high.
Gas prices have risen 44 cents in the last week, pushing the law enforcement agency to make the unique decision to alter their 911 responses.
“I want to assure the community that safety is our primary goal, and we will continue to respond to those types of calls,” Main said.
