Campus patrols get new three-wheelers

Officer Luke Miller used to cover his walking patrol zone about twice each shift. Now he can make that trip five or six times and respond to emergency calls more quickly on a T-3 Motion personal mobility vehicle.

Public Safety purchased two T-3s last spring to help officers cover the campus while remaining approachable and environmentally friendly. The vehicles were first used during Reunions and Commencement.

The vehicles are battery-powered and can be operated “for less than 10 cents a day,” according to T-3 Motion’s website.

“We really encourage our officers to be out on foot or bike, and this was a way to combine the foot and bike patrol into one medium because you feel like you’re out walking but you can get around quicker than you can on a bike,” Public Safety Director Steven Healy said. Officers were put through a training and certification process to prepare them to use the new machines.

Miller said he has noticed an improved response time since the T-3s, which have a top speed of 12 miles per hour, were put in service.

“I can cut right across campus,” he said, adding that he can respond more quickly in case of an emergency and can increase his coverage of campus during patrols.

“Once you increase patrols, you’ll find more stuff,” he explained. Miller said he has thwarted a bicycle thief while on his T-3.

In addition to helping officers cover campus, the T-3s make officers more visible and approachable than they would be in cars, Healy said. “We really think high visibility is a good thing around campus … not only for deterrent effects but also so that people can approach our officers. The car is a barrier between the officer and community members.”

The T-3s themselves also attract substantial attention. “I probably get 30 questions a day about them,” Miller said. “ ‘What are they? How do they work?’ For community policing interaction, it’s one of the best buys. It opens you up to everyone.”

“We continue to get a strong reaction from community members,” Healy added. “They’re novel, and people recognize it as something unique and different.”

“At least every day somebody takes a picture of it, and a lot of students ask to ride it,” Miller said. “But that’s a no.”

Though each T-3 costs $6,000, the vehicles are still cheaper to operate than patrol cars, Healy explained. A patrol car is not only four times more expensive but also requires the purchase of additional technology and fuel.

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With a T-3, the University will “save on other add-ons that have to go with a vehicle,” Healy said. The vehicles come pre-installed with law-enforcement-specific features such as emergency lights.

Since the vehicles are fully battery powered, Public Safety believes they are a good “green” alternative to cars. “We’re saving money on gasoline and supporting the University’s sustainability initiative,” Healy said.

Healy admitted that some officers were skeptical at first. “Initially [the T-3s] weren’t enthusiastically embraced by the officers, but once they started riding them and recognized the impact they had not only on their ability to traverse campus but also on their ability to communicate and engage with community members, they have been really enthusiastic about them,” Healy said.