SOUTHINGTON - Visitors to the Apple Harvest Festival may have noticed a police officer riding around on an unusual three-wheeled scooter - the T3 Personal Electric Mobility Vehicle.

It was on loan from MHQ, a company that provides the Southington Police Department with police equipment.

"It's a product that is fairly new to the East Coast," said Steven Hershmen, MHQ branch manager. "We are trying to get that rolled out and introduced as a more stable platform of vehicle. We're interested in getting feedback about it."

Several police departments across the country have been using the two-wheel Segway vehicles. But Hershmen says the T3's third wheel adds stability. Instead of leaning to turn the Segway, which can be problematic in a crowded situation, the T3 turns with handlebars, Hershmen said.

"The way that it is steered, the handlebars control the left to right. On the Segway, if you got bumped and the handle goes left, you go left," Sgt. Lowell DePalma said about the T3 vehicle. "The movement doesn't work like that. You turn it with the handlebars like you would a bicycle or a motorcycle."

The electric-powered vehicle's motion is controlled by a throttle on the handlebars, similar to a motorcycle. It does not have a reverse, but officer Michael Kahn, who rode the T3 at the festival, said reverse isn't needed because of the vehicle's turning radius.

Southington police thought the festival would be a great place to try out the new vehicle and had an officer riding it for both weekends.

Kahn, who is also trained on police bicycles, said it was great. He said the T3 has many advantages over a bicycle.

"I'm above the crowd, so you have a lot more visibility," Kahn said as he stood a few feet above many of the festivalgoers on Sunday. "It really helped on parade day."

A drawback is the price tag, which DePalma said is about $12,000.

DePalma said the department probably doesn't have money in its budget to buy the vehicle, but has received donations from the community in the past for special purchases such as this, and hopes to go that route again.

Lt. Edward Pocock stood next to Kahn as he was on the T3 Sunday afternoon, talking with curious people who came up to get a closer look. Pocock said he was impressed with the T3 operation and thinks it would be an asset to the department. He said the vehicle would be great for patrolling places such as the linear trail or downtown Southington during Music on the Green.

"It's worked out phenomenally," Pocock said Sunday. "One of the main advantages over the bicycle is when you get to your destination, you are not exhausted. Plus you can carry an AED (automated external defibrillator) on there, which you can't do on a bicycle."

He was also impressed with the simple training it takes to operate. Kahn said it was basically just starting it up, trying it out and he was ready to go out.

"It's green, it's practical and really increases the visibility of the officer," Pocock said.

The vehicle operates on a battery that has a 10- to 14-hour charge, which Pocock noted was about the same time as an officer's shift. The vehicle can also be programmed to have a varying range of speeds, depending on the needs of the officer, from 8 miles per hour for heavy traffic areas to up to 25 miles per hour in other areas.

The vehicle also comes with flashing red and blue lights, a siren and headlights for night operation. Hershmen said attachments such as trailers can be purchased for the vehicle, as well.

rrathsack@record-journal.com

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