CMPD Began Using Charlotte Energy Solutions' Segways in July 2007

CMPD Adds Segways To Vehicle Fleet
CharMeck.org, July 2, 2007

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department recently purchased 10 Segway® Personal Transporters (PT) for use throughout the Department. We will begin using them on July 4th as part of the patrol and crowd control functions.

The Segway PT is raised eight inches off the ground, placing an officer a clear head above the crowd. This allows the officer to be seen and have superior sight lines for traffic management, crowd control, and community policing. The Segway PT moves an officer, smoothly and quietly, at 2-3 times walking speed. It can easily double the amount of area a walking officer can cover, and can transition immediately from walking speed (3 mph) to sprinting speed (12.5 mph) when an officer needs to get somewhere fast without causing alarm.

The CMPD will use the Segway PT to patrol streets and parking lots throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It will be used to patrol large crowd gatherings and in areas where police patrol vehicles have difficulty maneuvering, including high traffic areas, city and county parks, park greenways and transit locations. The vehicles will also be used in large buildings and facilities to improve officer response to emergency situations.

The CMPD paid for the vehicles with asset forfeiture funds and received a discounted price of $5,500.00 each. The vehicles sell for $6,400 retail.

Segway x2's & Segway i2's are available from Charlotte Energy Solutions