Segway recently announced that the New York City Police Department has purchased a fleet of 10 Segway Personal Transporters (PTs) that it plans to deploy on patrols in city parks this summer. The use of the Segway i2 Police units will help the department increase patrol coverage in park environments, improve emergency response times by patrol officers, and reduce pollution. The units are expected to be used for security patrols in Central Park, Coney Island, and other city parks and beaches. This is the first Segway PT purchase by the City of New York.

"We are honored to count the NYPD as users of our latest police technology," says Jim Norrod, chief executive officer for Segway. "The i2 Police units will help the city save on fuel costs and enable patrol officers to provide a higher level of security at many of the city's busiest areas."

Worldwide, more than 400 police and security agencies now use Segway PTs to patrol downtown business districts, airports, parks and campuses, up from 150 a year ago. The Chicago Police Department, one of the earliest adopters of this patrol technology, has more than 50 Segway PTs deployed in the Loop, along the city's lakefront, and at O'Hare and Midway Airports. The Italian Railway Police, which is the company's largest international security customer, has 75 units patrolling the country's largest rail stations. Other major police departments acquiring Segway PTs in the past year include Honolulu, Seattle, Albuquerque, Miami-Dade, Tampa, El Paso, and Bridgeport, Conn.

The Segway i2 Police units purchased by the NYPD are the newest generation models. The i2 model has a range of up to 24 miles, a top speed of 12.5 mph and a payload of 260 pounds. The i2 Police includes a handlebar bag for gear, an accessory bar for lights and sirens, reflective police/security labels, comfort mats, an LED taillight, and cargo frames that double as lift handles. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the i2 Police package is $5,660.