Island Packet News
New wheels give officers efficient way to deter crime!
BY BEN CRITES, The Island Packet
Published Saturday, December 2, 2006
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Editor's note: Every Saturday, The Island Packet features a local neighborhood. Today: Shelter Cove.
Photo: Security officer Lt. Cardell Green of Coastal Security Services takes a ride on a Segway Personal Transporter while demonstrating the device Friday at Shelter Cove Harbour. The company's employees, who patrol Shelter Cove Harbour and The Mall at Shelter Cove, make rounds on the two-wheeled, battery-powered vehicles.
Keeping tabs on the activity at one of Hilton Head Island's more bustling shopping and dining destinations can be tricky.
But the new security force patrolling Shelter Cove thinks it has found an ideal solution -- one that's causing many heads to turn.
You've heard of foot, bike, boat and horse patrols. Now Coastal Security Services has brought Segway Personal Transporter patrol to the island.
The Segway PT, invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in 2001, is a two-wheeled, battery-operated upright vehicle. It's navigated by standing on the vehicle and leaning toward the desired direction of travel.
"We've always used bike patrols, and the Segway is better than that," said Hank Johnson, community manager. "I think that because it shows up in places you wouldn't expect it to show up, it's a (crime) deterrent."
The use of a Segway by law enforcement is rising in popularity throughout the nation. It's seen as a reliable and durable tool to patrol airport concourses, parks and trails, among other areas.
"It's not like a bike where you have to do a lot of pedaling and get tired, you can get around easily and without effort. Plus you stand up tall and can see things better."
Moreover, the Segway has helped accomplish something necessary for a new security operation. It's an icebreaker that's enhanced the presence of Coastal Security Services and made its officers more approachable.
It had been patrolled by Greenwood security, but the corporation decided not to renew that contract.
Coastal Security Services started with four officers and has grown to a force of 14. The job is a busy one because Shelter Cove is not a gated community and people can come and go as they please.
And with several harborside restaurants, condos overlooking the marina and a shopping mall, traffic stays consistent.
"It's a fun place to be," said Johnson. "The people who come here find everything they're looking for in one place."
And the new, roughly
$5,000 patrol vehicle is helping the security force ensure people are having fun safely.
"It's a good tool," he said. "It's something a lot of people had not expected to see. They love it."
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