Police Roll Out New Transportation Approaches

University Police, looking for ways to speed up response times and reduce fuel use and emissions, have acquired four vehicles to help them patrol campus more effectively.

One vehicle will reduce air and noise pollution dramatically.

The T3 is an all-electric upright plug-in “enhanced safety vehicle” with rechargeable battery. It is designed to allow officers to patrol pedestrian areas of campus with ease. Unlike Segways, the T3 sports three wheels, offering greater stability and added balance, and features a zero turning radius. The T3 also travels up to 25 miles on a single charge at an operating cost of about 10 cents a day.

Chief of Police Larry Zacharias said the T3s, which can move over diverse terrain, will “hopefully improve response times and allow police to arrive to calls with more energy” than if they had walked or pedaled bicycles.

“Officers are easier to approach (on a T3) than when in a car,” Zacharias said.

Zacharias indicated that the department, a division of the Office of Business Affairs, hopes to identify funds to purchase a second T3 soon.

Police purchased a golf cart to be used by public safety officers as well as police officers.

“They are small and nimble enough to be taken anywhere on campus. They can be especially useful in the housing areas, allowing us to get closer to buildings,” said Lieutenant Tim Dorsey.

The police golf cart has a rear jump seat to carry two additional passengers and can tote light supplies.

Police also acquired a two-passenger Mule, which they described as the work horse of the fleet. It has a bed and gate for transporting supplies – first aid, equipment, bags of ice or anything else that may be needed in the field.

“The T3 and the Mule were both used during this year’s Sounds of Class event. The Mule worked great to move people and supplies around the campus. The T3 performed well in an area where we had many visitors on foot,” Dorsey said.

Last, there’s the 2009 Dodge Charger. Boasting 368 horsepower and – should the need arise – the ability to move from zero to 60 in 6.2 seconds, it can reach a top speed of 150 mph.

“We always have a need for full-size vehicles. This replaces an earlier one, which had more than 100,000 miles on it. I anticipate we will use it primarily when we go off-campus. But it, too, serves as a great conversation piece, often breaking tension between police and youth,” Dorsey said.