August 20, 2010 —
MOREHEAD, Ky.---When Morehead State University’s fall term begins, officers with the University’s Police Department will have a new way to efficiently and effectively patrol campus streets and sidewalks thanks to the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center’s (NLECTC) Small, Rural, Tribal, and Border Regional Center (SRTB-RC).
SRTB-RC, one of the public safety programs hosted by The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, presented two Segway Personal Transporters to the MSU Police Department on Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Representatives from SRTB-RC also trained officers on the proper use of the two-wheeled, battery-powered vehicles—which officers stand upon and ride—at the event.
“They will tremendously aid our officers in community policing the campus by allowing us to have more face-to-face contact with students, faculty, and staff during patrols,” Matt Sparks, police chief. “The Segways will not only help our department save money, gas, and man hours, but also will help us reduce our carbon footprint and assist in MSU’s Green campaign.”
Officers riding a Segway will stand roughly eight inches above a crowd and can move on the self-balancing vehicles at speeds equivalent to a sprint, allowing them to patrol the same areas in a third of the time, according to Kevin Vermillion, technology systems analyst with SRTB-RC, who trained the officiers.
MSU President Wayne D. Andrews said one of the major benefits of the Segways is that it allows officers to have more informal and frequent contact with students as they move about campus.
“Having members of the MSU Police Department more visible and approachable will strengthen our commitment to providing community policing for the campus, and we are grateful to the Small, Rural, Tribal and Border Regional Center for providing us with this opportunity. Incorporating newer technologies such as the Segway into our police operations should help us maintain our status as one of the safest campuses in the nation.”
SRTB-RC provided MSU with the vehicles through its “Segway Human Transporter Loaner Program” which has provided local law enforcement and corrections agencies across Kentucky and the nation free training and free loaner use of Segways as an outreach activity for the past six years.
Other Kentucky law enforcement agencies that have participated in the Segway program include departments in Somerset, Western Kentucky University, Erlanger, Manchester, Taylor Mill, City of Morehead, Taylorsville, Alexandria, Pike County, and London. Departments in Tennessee, Georgia, Idaho, South Carolina and North Dakota have also utilized SRTB-RC’s Segways.
“They’re exceptional tools to enhance interaction with the public. The officer is more visible and accessible than he is when he is isolated in a patrol vehicle. Quite often individuals initiate contact with the officer out of curiosity about the device,” said Scott Barker, SRTB-RC executive director.
Funded through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute for Justice, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, and The Center for Rural Development, SRTB-RC serves as an honest broker providing responsive solutions and practical benefits to small and rural law enforcement agencies and acting as a one-stop-shop for free technical assistance and access to other NIJ Centers for nearly 17,000 small, rural, tribal, and border agencies across the nation through innovative, collaborative cooperation.
For more information on SRTB-RC and its programs, contact Danny Ball at (606) 677-6000, Scott Barker at (606) 436-8848, or visit www.strbrc.org.
Morehead State University News
Related Photos
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Kevin Vermillion, center, technology systems analyst with Small, Rural, Tribal and Border Regional Center, demonstrates the Segway as MSUPD's Assistant Chief Eddie Frazier, left, and Chief Matt Sparks observe.
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