ANNOUNCEMENT
Lake County Sheriff's Office to Go Green with Segway® Patroller
Local Business Donates Unit to Lake County
TAVARES, FLORIDA. – September 1, 2009 – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will soon join the ranks of over 1,000 police and security agencies worldwide when they add the all electric Segway Patroller to their fleet of law enforcement vehicles later this month. The Segway, which travels up to 24 miles on a single battery charge, will be deployed for a variety of uses including patrols by school resource officers, crowd and parking management at special events and community policing programs, just to name a few.
The Segway i2 Patroller is being donated to the Sheriff’s office by Smart Fuels Florida, a locally based company located in Fruitland Park. “We’ve been looking at ways to help the law enforcement community with energy efficient alternatives and the Segway was simply the best choice.” says Michael Carleton, Vice President of Smart Fuels Florida.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office successfully conducted a six week trial with several different Segway models earlier this year and used them at a variety of events such as the Lake County Fair and Pig on the Pond, as well as participating in a regional search and rescue exercise. During testing, Sheriff’s office personnel found that deputies on the Segways had more visibility and maneuverability in crowds allowing them to “see and be seen” much more easily than on foot, bicycles, golf carts, motorcycles or other traditional patrol vehicles. In a search and rescue or patrol environment, the Segway’s silent electric operation allowed deputies to hear sounds that would normally be drowned out while using other vehicles.
According to Dave Holzapfel, owner of Segway of Central Florida, the law enforcement and commercial security industries are the largest and fastest growing segment of Segway users. “Most agencies have now realized that the Segway is actually a force multiplier and a cost saving tool that allows more territory to be covered by fewer personnel while almost eliminating fuel and maintenance costs associated with other vehicles” says Holzapfel. “With every government agency concerned about reducing costs and energy dependence on fossil fuels, the Segway is an obvious solution.” he said.
The cost to operate a Segway for a 24 mile charge cycle is less than cost of a newspaper according to the Segway Inc. website and because of the way the Segway operates, it enables users to retain the agility needed to maneuver in tight spaces and to forego the use of gasoline-powered vehicles, and the operational and maintenance costs that go along with them.
To learn more, please visit: http://www.segway.com/patrol/index.php
Contact: Dave Holzapfel
Segway of Central Florida
Phone: 352.383.9900
segwayofcentralflorida@yahoo.com
www.segwayofcentralflorida.com
"Changing Your World, One Segway at a Time"