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And the beat rolls on for these officers
Segways will patrol downtown and other locations.
By JON WILSON
Published October 29, 2006
Downtown patrol officer Jason Deary is 6 foot 7, and when he climbs on a Segway, he becomes a genuine giant among men. And women and children, for that matter. That's one reason the St. Petersburg Police Department bought five of the two-wheeled, upright vehicles, paying $27,824 for the fleet. "You're up above the crowd," police Sgt. Tim Montanari said. On Friday, police started using the battery-powered scooters to scout downtown, Tyrone Square Mall and Tangerine Plaza. Look for them at the monthly First Friday parties on Central Avenue and other special events. They might even show up at schools if resource officers are interested. "I don't think we've thought of all the ways to incorporate them," Montanari said. Thursday several officers demonstrated their new rides, zipping around BayWalk. Top speed is supposed to be 12 mph, the Segway dealers say, but officer Rick Kenyon said he got his up to 13.3. The machines are computer-stabilized, but body-steered. Lean forward to scoot ahead, lean back to reverse. Push down the handlebar to turn right or left, stand straight to stop. "If you ride this thing 15 minutes, you're like a pro," Kenyon said. "Then all you have to worry about is overconfidence." Two computers and five gyroscopes help guide Segways, said Jack Boone, a dealer representative. The technical guts take 100 readings per second on a rider's body movement. Besides visibility and mobility, police hope the Segways are novel enough to open the conversational door. Such was the case Thursday. Several pedestrians stopped to watch or chat, including Weldon Holmes, 87, a Cloisters resident. Holmes said he earned his black belt in karate at age 81 and demonstrated a move to a startled reporter. But mostly he wanted to talk about the Segways, thrusting a foot forward as he speculated what it would feel like if one ran over his toes. "People want to come up and talk to us," Deary said. "That's what we're really looking for."
[Last modified October 28, 2006, 19:49:06]
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