D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty frequently uses the sirens and flashing lights on the cars of his police security detail to keep his entourage's path clear on city streets, The Washington Post reports.
Fenty, who took office Jan. 2, wants to be on time to events so he can attend as many community meetings as possible. In addition to using flashing lights and sirens, Fenty's entourage often runs through red lights and exceeds the posted speed limit, according to the Post.
The Post reported Fenty has said he only uses the tactics while he is on official business and then only on a "case-by-case basis."
According to the Post, no rules prevent city mayors from using their police entourages to speed up travel time. But Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said they avoided the practice.
Tony Bullock, a press secretary during former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams' administration, said he remembered the former mayor only using such tactics once, when he needed to attend a meeting at the White House following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Post reported.
