LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
New motorized personnel vehicles are creating accessibility and opportunities for more personal contact between the 802nd Security Forces Squadron and the Lackland populace.
With a focus on community policing and to make patrol officers more approachable, the squadron is the first in Air Education and Training Command to incorporate T3 Motion Personnel Mobility Vehicles, or T3s, into its operations.
Environmentally friendly and cost efficient, the three-wheeled, battery-powered vehicles elevate the driver, travel up to 12 miles per hour and provide better stability than two-wheeled Segways.
The Lackland T3s are police-package equipped with sirens, lights and the Security Forces logo.
The new vehicles have already been integrated into patrols at Air Force Basic Military Training graduations. They will also be used at other major events and supplement bike and walking patrols in base housing areas.
"They are perfect for the environment here," said Lt. Col. Edward Schneider, 802nd SFS commander. "The T3 bridges the gap between traditional community policing tactics and current technological advances.
"At parade, they're high profile and our officers are elevated enough to stand out. It makes them very approachable."
Colonel Schneider said because the T3s are so quiet, they're not disruptive. They provide high visibility, make patrol officers more accessible, and offer quicker response times. Compact and easy to maneuver, the T3s can go places not practical for patrol cars.
Capt. Shawn Redmond, 802nd SFS operations officer, said the T3s are another avenue to personalize the squadron's interaction with the base populace.
"Community policing is our focus," Captain Redmond said.
"It's important for us to engage the public, lose the shroud of a patrol car and not be faceless support. We can be a person instead of just another cop."
By using T3s in the housing areas, Colonel Schneider said it will promote communication between residents and patrol officers.
"This is a back-to-basics approach to our profession - greeting and knowing our community by using the most up-to-date and efficient equipment available," the squadron commander said.
(Talespinner staff journalist Mike Joseph contributed to this article.)