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Westchester Cops Put On Segways, Bikes To Save Gas

Other Officers To Walk Their Beats As Officials Push Officers Out Of Cruisers

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBS) ― Gas is so expensive these days that one Westchester County police department is thinking way outside the box to save money. Instead of using patrol cars, officers are using other modes of transportation.

Officer Frank Lore gets lots of smiles these days as he zooms around New Rochelle on his new segway.

"I think it's good. It gets a good response from the businesses in the downtown area," he tells CBS 2.

Locals will be seeing a lot more cops on two wheels and two feet as the city parks patrol cars and takes other measures to save gas.

"You project your budget for that year, how much you're going to spend, and then prices go up the way they have, and you're over budget," New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll explains.

That's what New Rochelle faces. With four months left in 2008, they've already spent every penny budgeted for police gasoline. And that budget had grown from $170,000 last year to $220,000 this year.

And next year, the city may spend a whopping $320,000 on police gasoline.

So a major effort is being made to save gas. More cops will walk a beat or ride a bike or segway.

"It's nice to have them in the community, just riding around You can see them, I love it," says Barbara Oliver, a New Rochelle resident.

"I've asked all departments to take a look at their fuel costs and how they might reduce them," says City Manager Chuck Strome.

Strome says they're a buying a hybrid garbage truck to go along with the electric vehicles used by the parking patrol.

Police say they'll keep a close eye on crime as they redeploy officers to save gas, but they're confident conservation and public safety can coexist.

The changes are expected to save the city between $25,000 and $50,000 a year.

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