Westmoreland approves GPS tracking of county vehicles

Westmoreland County soon will begin intensive tracking of its vehicle fleet, including dozens of take-home cars used by employees and elected officials.

Commissioners on Thursday revised the county’s fleet management policy to require drivers to log in to a GPS device installed in nearly every vehicle. The equipment will provide real-time tracking of where, when and how employees drive.

“The biggest problem with the take-home vehicles is they are being scratched, damaged. We want to be able to look and see exactly what happens,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

The county operates a fleet of about 180 vehicles, including heavy equipment, plows, trucks and other leased passenger vehicles used by employees in various departments such as the park police, sheriff’s office, probation, children’s bureau and area agency on aging.

Most workers are assigned vehicles on a daily basis as needed from the general fleet, while about 50 are assigned full-time to staff to take home each night. Three elected officials — District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, Sheriff James Albert and Coroner Tim Carson — are assigned take-home vehicles, said Greg McCloskey, director of county operations.

Ziccarelli’s use of her county-issued SUV came into question after she crashed in Murrysville in December 2022 during a late-night drive home on icy roads. She claimed she had visited a friend who was mourning the death of a relative.

The crash resulted in more than $33,000 in damage to the vehicle.

Commissioners said the GPS tracking system is designed to monitor use of vehicles during work and off hours.

“If this had been in place then (during Ziccarelli’s crash), we could have had additional facts and things like that could be prevented in the future,” Commissioner Ted Kopas said.

“De minimis” personal use is allowed for take-home vehicles under the previous and now-revised versions of the fleet policy. Employees assigned take-home vehicles also are required to submit mileage logs each month that detail how the cars and SUVs are used.

A TribLive investigation last year found logs were not routinely submitted and, when they were filed, contained only basic information such as total miles driven each month.

The Geotab Inc. tracking system, approved by commissioners, will serve as an additional method to monitor use of the fleet. Mileage logs still are required under the revised fleet policy.

Meanwhile, the company will be paid a one-time $11,463 fee for the equipment and assess the county monthly charges to install and monitor tracking devices. McCloskey said the project will cost taxpayers about $38,000 a year.

That outlay of funds ultimately could lead to savings, McCloskey said.

McCloskey said the GPS tracking will provide more detailed information about how the vehicles are used. The county will be able to see where vehicles are driven, when they are used and even how fast they are driven.

“Our intent is not discipline. It’s a way to get the most out of the vehicles and to see how best to utilize them and to keep people safe,” McCloskey said.

A fleet management review committee will be appointed to examine the collected data and help craft future management provisions that could lead to reducing the size of the fleet and the number of vehicles issued for take-home use, he said.