Salt Lake City police officers ditching take-home cars [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY — They may say “Salt Lake City Police” on the sides, but the cars can be seen almost anywhere along the Wasatch Front as officers drive to and from work.

But a memo from Salt Lake City’s police union warns that some officers are opting out of a policy that allowed them to drive patrol cars home. The issue is insurance.

Salt Lake City has informed officers that it will carry only the minimum amount of car insurance required by state law. If officers are at fault in an accident when they are driving their patrol cars off duty, they may have to pay for the balance of the damages.

“After learning this information several officers have turned their vehicles in to protect themselves from liability,” says a memo from the Salt Lake Police Association to its members.

“An officer was involved in an at-fault accident,” the …