The new slogan for the South Plainfield, NJ police department is "to protect and con-serve." I totally understand this slogan. I just swiped $71.49 to fill up our mini-van, and that was after their kind $.03 per gallon discount for being a frequent customer. Gas was $1.90 a gallon when we acquired the guzzler in 2004 -- uh oh -- reminiscing is a sign of old age.

In response to the gas crunch, South Plainfield is setting many of their officers out on segways, on bikes and on foot. Idling the police fleet is no longer allowed, riding in pairs is common. Police Chief John Ferraro says the gas-cutting measures have a real upside -- officers are interacting with the community and garnering new tips leading to arrests.

Funny, no one said anything in this story about officer health. Walking or biking a beat is much healthier than riding in a squad all day. Calling all exercise physiology researchers out there -- here's a prime opportunity for a before/after fitness study. Conserving gas may just conserve our lives.