Personal use of city cars to continue

Certain city employees can keep driving their city cars to and from work, a benefit that union officials say helps police, but the mayor's office says will cost the taxpayers money. The city decided to end the practice in November, but the police union filed a series of grievances. An independent arbitrator has ruled that city detectives and school resource officers should be allowed drive to and from work in department vehicles, and ordered the city to reimburse the affected officers for their mileage retroactive to November. The union's George Lovell said Tuesday the use of city vehicles allowed the detectives and school officers to respond faster to emergency calls.