The Los Angeles Police Department is using Space Age-looking scooters on patrols, says the Los Angeles Times. “Is this a Segway?” a man asked one officer. No, it’s a T3 personal mobility vehicle that goes up to 25 miles an hour. With their high-intensity, light-emitting diode flashers, squad-car paint scheme, and police decals, these battery-driven three-wheelers are tire-squealers.
Police have unveiled a mobile message board that they call their Critical Incident Utility Vehicle. Mounted on a four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle, the lighted sign can be programmed from a hand-held wireless device 350 feet away to display information and instructions in various languages. Another vehicle called a smart car is equipped to sniff out stolen cars, recognize criminals, track fleeing suspects, and conduct remote video surveillance in high-crime areas. “Police cars over the last 15 or 20 years hadn’t changed much — they were just used to get officers from point A to point B and to store equipment,” said Sgt. Dan Gomez, who runs the police office of tactical technology. Not anymore.
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-scooter10nov10,1,7138899.story?coll=la-headlines-california