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Pittsburg State Police have a new way of getting around campus quickly.
Last week, the department received its first Segway scooter last week and have plans to use the scooter throughout campus.
“It’s just one of those things,” said PSUPD director Mike McCracken. “It’s something new for around here. It is used a lot for bigger campuses and police departments. It’s just something we wanted to try out to see if it was good for us.”
McCracken has big plans for the Segway. One of the benefits of the Segway is that it can cross grass, speed across campus and go into buildings.
But the best part about the Segway, McCracken said, is that it allows for closer relations with campus.
“It brings us a lot closer to the community,” McCracken said. “We can get out there and get one-on-one with the students. If we’re policing campus, people will approach us and ask about it. It enhances our interaction. It’s a good public relations tool.”
The Segway came at a cost to the university of less than $6,000 for a vehicle with police options.
However, the department will get more return on the Segway than they would above other modes of transportation. The Segway does not use gas — it uses electric power.
“That’s one of the advantages. It’s green and environmentally friendly. We just have to plug it in and charge the batteries,” McCracken said. “It’s just 11 cents a day for use. You compare that to fuel costs to go on patrol.”
McCracken said the PSUPD would also use the scooters for crowd control during football games. The scooters would also give an additional height boost to officers.
As for the functionality compared to a bicycle, McCracken said the Segway comes with its own advantages.
“For one thing, you don’t have to pedal it,” McCracken said. “It’s comparable to a bicycle, speedwise. It’s just as safe, if not safer.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
Pittsburg State Police have a new way of getting around campus quickly.
Last week, the department received its first Segway scooter last week and have plans to use the scooter throughout campus.
“It’s just one of those things,” said PSUPD director Mike McCracken. “It’s something new for around here. It is used a lot for bigger campuses and police departments. It’s just something we wanted to try out to see if it was good for us.”
McCracken has big plans for the Segway. One of the benefits of the Segway is that it can cross grass, speed across campus and go into buildings.
But the best part about the Segway, McCracken said, is that it allows for closer relations with campus.
“It brings us a lot closer to the community,” McCracken said. “We can get out there and get one-on-one with the students. If we’re policing campus, people will approach us and ask about it. It enhances our interaction. It’s a good public relations tool.”
The Segway came at a cost to the university of less than $6,000 for a vehicle with police options.
However, the department will get more return on the Segway than they would above other modes of transportation. The Segway does not use gas — it uses electric power.
“That’s one of the advantages. It’s green and environmentally friendly. We just have to plug it in and charge the batteries,” McCracken said. “It’s just 11 cents a day for use. You compare that to fuel costs to go on patrol.”
McCracken said the PSUPD would also use the scooters for crowd control during football games. The scooters would also give an additional height boost to officers.
As for the functionality compared to a bicycle, McCracken said the Segway comes with its own advantages.
“For one thing, you don’t have to pedal it,” McCracken said. “It’s comparable to a bicycle, speedwise. It’s just as safe, if not safer.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
