Cops on hot wheels

Standing aboard a Segway Human Transporter outside the main terminal

at Bob Hope Airport, Officer Randy Law at times draws bewildered

looks from the passengers he stands 8 inches above.

“They definitely like it, or at least are intrigued by it,” said

Law, who has been with the airport police for six months.

Law’s Segway -- a two-wheeled, battery-operated personal

transportation vehicle that is operated in an upright position -- is

one of three in use since last week to make it easier to patrol the

terminal and airport area. They join a bike patrol that was began in

July.

The bikes and Segways allow an element of surprise for the officer

coming upon illegal activity, Officer Joshua Hubbard said.

“People expect to see an officer on foot or driving up in a black

and white [patrol car],” Hubbard said.

With a top speed of 16 mph, the Segways increase response times in

a terminal that can take 10 to 15 minutes to walk from one end to

another.

“The Segway will do it in an eighth of that time,” Airport Police

Officer Alex Nobel said.

Officers used the Segways for a two-week trial period in August

before the department decided to purchase the transporters, Bob Hope

Police Chief Ed Skvarna said.

Along with allowing officers easier access to places they can’t

get to with a car, the Segways are turning out to be great public

relations and allow the officers to be more approachable by

passengers, Skvarna said.

“If you see an officer walking through the terminal, nobody will

go up to him unless they have a problem,” Skvarna said. “But when an

officer is on the Segway, kids will come up to him, the parents will

come up to him. People smile when they see it.”

Introduced in 2002, the Segway has three speeds and uses an

internal gyroscope to maintain balance with a rider aboard. Learning

how to ride the transporter takes only minutes.

“They are easy to ride and very intuitive,” said Skvarna, who has

taken rides himself on the vehicles.

Police agencies and security firms are the fastest growing market

for the transporters, said Klee Kleber, Segway’s vice president for

marketing.

The company even has a model with heavy-duty tires that are used

by park rangers and beach patrols, Kleber said.

With a retail price of $5,000, the transporters also are an

economical fit, Kleber said.

“It helps solve a problem of departments cutting costs and trying

to do more with less,” Kleber said.

Although the Segways are a new addition to the force, they aren’t

the answer to everything. The department has four bicycles for its

patrols with another two on order. They are equipped with flashing

lights and siren, dual shocks and full suspension.

“We patrol areas that wouldn’t be reasonable to take a Segway,

such as the air cargo and extended parking areas,” Skvarna said.

* MARK MADLER covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached

at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at mark.madlerlatimes.com.