Mama's Ramblings

Police pick patrolling in putt-putt style
By LAURA BAUER
The Kansas City Star

A St. Louis suburb thinks it knows how to battle high gas prices plus get officers better connected to the community. It’s simple: golf carts.

Golf carts?

Police Chief Ricky Collins of Pine Lawn said it’s a great idea, really. You can plug the carts in at night, so no need to pay at the pump. And on a golf cart, officers can ride through a neighborhood talking to people and getting to know their problems.

“We’re trying to go to the old-school policing,” said Collins, who has been chief for a year. “We’ve had complaints of officers driving around talking on cell phones with their windows up. … This puts more officers in the community rather than passing through the community.”

The board of aldermen in Pine Lawn, a town of about 4,000 in north St. Louis County, voted last week to spend about $5,000 for two golf carts for daily patrols.

Officers will start patrolling in the carts June 1.

Officers patrol on bicycle and foot and sometimes, in larger cities, on horseback. But Police Lt. Mike Daniels of Merriam admits that a golf cart patrol is a new one on him.

“It’s not a bad idea. It’s right in line with community policing,” said Daniels, whose department uses a community policing philosophy, which means officers get inside neighborhoods.

“Anything that would draw attention and enable officers to talk to the citizens, that’s a good idea.”

Collins gave his officers a choice: Walk the beat or ride it in a golf cart. All hands went up for golf carts.

The idea isn’t for officers to speed to major calls in carts that go about 15 to 20 mph. Officers in golf carts will respond to non-emergency calls such as home checks and vandalism, so speedy pursuits won’t be an issue.

“These aren’t designed to chase anyone,” said Collins, who plans to do some patrolling in a golf cart.

Pine Lawn’s mayor, Sylvester Caldwell, was a big proponent of the carts. This is the same town that late last year drew nationwide attention when it outlawed sagging pants.

On the golf cart idea, Caldwell and Collins experimented one night to see how it would work.
The cart was so quiet the pair could sneak up unnoticed, which would come in handy in crime fighting, Caldwell said.

They could also talk to people mowing their lawns or sitting on their porches.

“They’re a great tool just to pull up in someone’s front yard,” Caldwell said. “…Why put a guy on a motor scooter that burns gas? This doesn’t.”

But one has to wonder. First the city went after sagging pants, and now it’s buying golf carts for police. What’s next?

Caldwell’s not sure.

“We’re just letting people know we have new ideas,” the mayor said.

“While some communities may chuckle at us, we’re doing some new things, and our constituents seem to like it.”

Could you just see Jeremy driving around in the ghetto chasing down a drug dealer in a golf cart?!? Isn't Saint Louis one of the top crime cities?? I don't think that by the police being "nice" and driving around to get to know people is going to help. I just had to share this one. I believe I have posted a record number of times today. I better go take a shower now and get ready for bed. I promise this is my last random post for the day.