Last year, the Chicago Police Department was looking for a more efficient way for its officers to patrol O’Hare International Airport and provide a secure environment to the 200,000 people who move through the facility each day. O’Hare, the largest hub airport in the United States, covers more than 7,000 acres and includes four separate terminals, several massive parking ramps, 178 departure gates and miles of concourses complete with retail stores, gift shops, restaurants, bars, conference centers and cafés.
The 69 million people who use O’Hare International each year are always on the move, and Commander Michael Acosta wants his officers to be able to keep pace. They need to move safely through the multitudes, and to be conspicuous without causing alarm. They must be able to patrol vast distances on a regular basis, and respond quickly to security problems wherever they might develop.
Commander Acosta has now found what he thinks may be the ideal tool for his officers: the Segway Human Transporter (HT). After testing the units for nearly a year, the city of Chicago purchased 28 Segway HTs and put them into full service at O’Hare in February 2004.
Today, 40 Chicago police officers have been fully trained on the Segway HT. Ten Segway HTs are in constant use at O’Hare, covering all terminals during all shifts. Another five are on patrol at Chicago Midway Airport. According to Acosta, the Segway HTs are a uniquely valuable tool for his officers.
“The Segway makes it very easy to move around and provide assistance to the passengers,” says Acosta. “They can get back and forth easier, and can cover more space in a shorter amount of time.”
Segway HTs also make it easier for Acosta’s officers to interact with people. “People come up and talk to the officers on the Segways,” says Acosta. “It makes the officers more visible.” Riding on a Segway HT also makes the officer a head taller than the rest of the crowd, which provides for good sightlines.
Officer James LoBianco, one of the officers currently using the Segway HT, thinks the devices really come in handy when there is an urgent situation. “Especially these days, people don’t want to see an officer running through the terminal because it arouses suspicion and concern,” says LoBianco. “Using the Segway HT you can move quickly through the concourse at a faster speed without attracting any negative attention. Typically, they see an officer running through the terminal and they assume the worst.”
LoBianco is also impressed with the technology itself. “It was very easy to learn. The zero turning radius and the ease at which you can change directions and move through a crowd of pedestrians is very helpful,” says LoBianco. “People are fascinated by the technology and the efficiency of it.”
Officer Scott Shaver estimates that it would take him a minimum of one hour to patrol one level of the O’Hare parking facility on foot. Using a Segway HT it now takes approximately 30 minutes per level. “With the Segway I can see up above the cars,” says Shaver. “We can also quickly cover the whole terminal looking for lost children. I can move the length of the concourse in a couple of minutes.”
Over the next decade the O'Hare Modernization Program will add another western terminal to the airport, expanding the number of gates and parking facilities, and enabling O’Hare to accommodate approximately 76 million outbound passengers each year.
That program will also create a new expanse for the police force, equipped with Segway HTs, to patrol, and attract millions more travelers to keep safe and secure.
Note: In addition, to Chicago O’Hare and Midway, the international airports in Atlanta, Orlando and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are also using Segway HTs to increase the effectiveness of their police and security patrols.
For more information about Segway HTs and their applications in the police and airport sectors please contact Bill Stone, director of commercial and national account sales, at 1-866-4SEGWAY.
Story Contact:
Jack Klobucar
Added Value, Inc.
952-925-9566
jklobucar@addedvalueinc.com
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