BROOKFIELD - Officers in Brookfield have to keep one eye on their odometers. It's all because of a new policy aimed at cutting the cost of gasoline. It's being called a sign of the times. Officers have been told to keep their driving under a set limit per shift, and some residents aren't happy about that. "I really think it's a bad idea. Coverage in my neighborhood has not been that good," said Terry Halmstead. Officers were told to drive less than 50 miles during a daytime shift. According to the memo given to officers, if they need to drive any more than that, they need to get permission from a watch commander. Officials with the police department claim the new rules will be applied with common sense. For example, if an officer has already driven 50 miles and an urgent call comes in, the officer will still be able to respond without any red tape, according to Brookfield police. But skeptics say all this does is force officers to spend less time patrolling the streets. "By reducing the amount of space and areas that they cover, I think it's sort of a big flag to anyone who wants to do vandalism," said Halmstead. Many city officials, including the mayor, support the change. They say police service will remain the same, and safety will not be compromised. "Obviously we're going to try and ensure public safety above and beyond everything else. But when there are times when you could say, 'Maybe we could do another lap around the city,' I think common sense needs to win out in that situation," said Brookfield alderman Bob Reddin. Brookfield police officials say the mileage limit is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. Officers will have their mileage monitored regularly by their superiors. Brookfield police are also implementing several other gas-saving measures, including having officers park in high traffic areas to increase visibility, and requiring officers to fill out reports in their squad cars instead of driving back to the station.