Riding A Wave Of Innovation

By MERRY FIRSCHEIN

PARAMUS - It has two wheels, a handlebar, and a police officer riding on it, but it's not a motorcycle.

It's a Segway, a science-fiction-like personal transportation device. And the borough Police Department now has one.

On Tuesday, Rob Brown, president of Paramus-based Digital Voice Network, donated one of the $5,000 machines to the department. And though the Segway looks as if it belongs on "The Jetsons," police officials couldn't be happier.

"I thought, 'Let's try something different,'" said borough Police Chief Fred Corrubia. "We're not scared to try anything. The Segway will give the officer a lot of mobility."

And a lot of questions.

Created by a New Hampshire inventor, The Segway Human Transporter was kept secret for years and had the code name "Ginger." It was unveiled with great fanfare in December 2001 and touted as the transportation option of the future.

It uses a gyroscope to stay balanced. The farther a person leans forward, the faster the Segway goes. Lean backward, and the Segway stops.

Some police departments have used the new machines on a trial basis, but many have found them too expensive to purchase. Segway officials said Paramus appears to be the first police department in the state to own one of the units.

Corrubia said the department will use the Segway in Van Saun Park, at the Cliff Gennarelli Paramus Sports Complex, and for various school-related programs.

"We'll use it to get from Point A to Point B where a car can't get," said Capt. Brian Smith, who is in charge of the department's Traffic Division. Smith said a meeting is scheduled with Garden State Plaza officials to discuss using the Segway for gridlock control at the mall.

Two Traffic Division officers - Vincent Pepe and Randy Kremer - have been assigned to Segway duty. Last week, both were sent to a Segway-led class in Tarrytown, N.Y. They are now instructing other officers in the finer points of staying balanced.

"It's going to grab the attention of the public," said Pepe as he smoothly zipped up and down the Police Department parking lot Tuesday. But, he added, "I prefer a bicycle."

The Segway can go about 12.5 mph, not as fast as a bicycle but faster than a criminal on foot.

With a platform that is 8 inches off the ground, the Segway is great for patrolling large crowds, where a police officer on foot might be unseen in the mass of people.

In Manchester, N.H., where the Police Department tested four Segways for three weeks last spring, Sgt. James Kinney said the machines were "effective in getting the community to approach the officer."

The Los Angeles Transit Police is using Segways, and the city of Seattle has 10, according to media accounts.

The Segway needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet and recharged for four to six hours after traveling 10 to 13 miles. Itcan hold a rider weighing up to 250 pounds. The Segway weighs 83 pounds and is 19 inches wide.