Article from the Journal News:

Greenburgh police roll out Segway as high-tech crime fighter

By REBECCA BAKER
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: November 15, 2007)

HARTSDALE - He's 7 feet tall, wears sunglasses and can zip down the street at 12 miles an hour.

He's Ed DeVito, a Greenburgh community police officer fighting crime with a new piece of technology: a Segway Human Transporter.

Greenburgh rolled out the two-wheeled stand-up scooter to the public yesterday at the Hartsdale train station. The Police Department is the first in the Lower Hudson Valley to adopt the personal transporters.

DeVito will use the $5,900 device to patrol in East Hartsdale. The Segway, he said, will help him do his job faster, easier and better.

"It's 10 times easier to interact with the public," he said. "People are more likely to stop you."

The Segway raised the curiosity of Ann Bez, a registered nurse with the Hartsdale Medical Group, who chatted with DeVito for a few minutes. "I think it's great," she said. "It makes him taller. He can see more. He can maneuver so easily."

Wearing a bicycle helmet and a yellow and blue windbreaker, DeVito demonstrated the agility of the Segway, turning tight circles and weaving through narrow spaces.

A front leather pouch with the Greenburgh police logo carries a traffic vest, flashlight and personal items, while a pair of black plastic storage pouches holds police reports on one side and a portable defibrillator on the other.

The Metropolis Country Club on Dobbs Ferry Road donated the $6,000 price. "I must tell you, I didn't know what a Segway was," said Natalie Robinson, who co-chaired the club's July fundraiser for community groups. "I think it's a terrific thing."

Greenburgh is among a growing number of law enforcement agencies to use Segways on patrol. The New York Police Department unveiled 10 in May, joining departments in Chicago and Bridgeport, Conn.

Police Chief John Kapica wants to buy two more. Segways allow community police officers to cover their assigned areas more quickly than by walking the beat, he said. DeVito's can take him from the train station to Central Avenue in about two minutes - five times faster than walking.

Kapica said the Segways also beat bike patrols because they boost cops above traffic and crowds and aren't as tiring.

Police say the Segway makes officers more approachable than riding on a bike or in a cruiser, and provides a conversation starter that could help police forge bonds with residents, merchants and commuters.

"People aren't used to seeing this thing on the street," Kapica said. "It's so novel."

Yesterday's demonstration stopped Steve Lingeman, a 63-year-old West Hartsdale Avenue resident walking past the station. Lingeman said the Segway patrol could be effective, but worried about DeVito's safety, especially in traffic at night.

"I'd put a flashing light on that sucker, just to keep him from being creamed," he said.

Capt. Bill Graham of the Greenburgh police said a light had been ordered.

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Husdon Valley Federal Credit Union Event

Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, one of the nation’s largest credit unions, is incorporating the use of a Segway in the grand opening celebration of their newest branch in Middletown, NY. The Segway, which was outfitted with a wraparound chariot profiling the credit union’s latest advertising campaign, was provided by Jack White, President of Segway of the Hudson Valley.

The Segway could be seen in the branch lobby right up until the actual event (see picture). The fully clad Segway will parade in front of the new branch attracting attention and creating a stir amongst motorists driving down adjacent Rt. 211 during the event. The celebration, which is being hosted by local radio station K-104, will include an on-air Segway ride by famed radio station disc jockey, Scotty Mac.

The only thing more attention-getting than a Segway, is a Segway with your company’s marketing message splashed across the front it.

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June 10th, 2007

Both Clean Air NY and Segway of the Hudson Valley were present at the Classic 10k race in Orange County this weekend. June 10th, 2007.