How America’s cops are embracing this revolutionary electric vehicle.
The Segway is a thing of the past, an artifact of less modern times. In its place, the Trikke Positron is steadfastly becoming the personal electric vehicle of choice for law enforcement officials — from California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit Police, to the Wilmington Police Department in Wilmington, Delaware.
Not only is the three-wheel, battery-powered Positron a great replacement for the lumbering curiosity that was the Segway, “police Trikkes” are proving to be a great multi-purpose tool in their own right, assisting officers in ways the old Segway could’ve only dreamed of.
“There’s no comparison to the other options currently on the market; the Trikkes are miles ahead,” says Officer Mitchel Ashton of the Norfolk PD in Norfolk, Virginia.
It’s a popular sentiment among officers who’ve experienced riding the Positron, built expressly for law enforcement by Trikke Tech, Inc., through its Trikke Professional Mobility division.
“All of my coworkers and the public love the Trikkes,” says Norfolk PD officer Mitchel Ashton (center).
Once makers of the body-powered Trikke carving scooter for consumers, Trikke Tech has evolved to become the U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of rugged, professional-grade, personal electric patrol vehicles — mainly through word of mouth and the appearance of police Trikkes at many a law enforcement trade show.
Turns out, the cambering technology behind the original Trikke, plus the power of an electric battery have turned what was once a recreational alternative to the bike into a revolutionary new mobility solution for police officers on patrol.
“The proprietary, three-wheel cambering system is perfect for efficiently moving around congested areas, public events, and large campuses,” says Gildo Beleski, Trikke Tech’s CEO and chief engineer. “Trikke Positrons are quiet and highly-ergonomic, with high-torque electric motors, heavy-duty construction, and a small footprint, all technologies we’ve developed for law enforcement applications.”
Whether on patrol with the police departments of Atlantic Beach, Florida, Wheeling, West Virginia, or Royal Oak, Michigan, the Positron is an all-weather, multi-terrain vehicle designed for use in a variety of conditions, both indoors and outdoors, says Beleski.
“They can be parked close to any entrance,” he notes, “and their height makes them far superior to bikes in terms of visibility, especially when it comes to looking over traffic, parked cars, fences, and crowds.”
But don’t just take the word of the company’s CEO and inventor of the Trikke. Consider the rave reviews offered by actual police officers, especially for the Positron’s maneuverability.
“I really enjoy using the Positron,” says Lieutenant Brendon Barth of the Atlanta PD’s Video Integration Center. “It has great mobility, speed, handling and visibility. I’m able to ride on the street and go places cars can’t go. It’s perfect around parks and crowds.”
The Trikke Positron is a head-turner and people magnet.
Another unique featuring often cited: the Positron’s ability to promote positive interaction within the communities officers serve and protect.
“Police also say the Trikkes will make them more visible to the campus community,” notes a story by Dallas’ NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. In it, Dallas College Chief of Police Lauretta Hill echoes the idea that Positrons are a public relations plus: “Officers can get around, and people will walk up to us just because they want to know what it is.”
Turns heads. Promotes positive interaction. Provides a more mobile alternative to the extinct Segway. When’s the last time a police department acquisition did all that?
For this Texas-size community college system, electric Trikkes are “ideal for patrolling.”
How do you keep over 100,000 students on seven campuses safe? For the Dallas College Police Department, part of the solution is the Trikke Positron, the top-of-the-line, three-wheel, personal electric vehicle made by Trikke Tech and built expressly for law enforcement.
To aid in patrolling one of the largest community college systems in the Lone Star State, the department added the Positron to its lineup of security vehicles, mainly to help officers move around campus more quickly, according to an article on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. In it, Dallas College officers speak highly of their new tool and its “new technology.”
“It’s really silent, so we can get around the campus without causing too much of a disruption to campus. We’ll also be able to patrol outside of campus,” says Officer Luis Leal in the article.
Additionally, Chief of Police Lauretta Hill comments on how the Trikkes make officers more visible to the campus community: “Officers can get around, and people will walk up to us just because they want to know what it is,” she notes in the article.
The Dallas College Police Department’s fleet of Trikke Positrons are built expressly for law enforcement.
After starting in November 2019 with four Positrons, the department — seeing their benefit — just added six additional units to cover more of the school’s campuses.
To help spread the word about their new patrol vehicles, Dallas College posted a video on its Facebook page introducing the three-wheelers to its community.
“Can your car or bicycle use an elevator?” the video asks while an officer on a Trikke easily rides off an elevator, then down a hallway. The thirty-second clip also features both voice-over and graphics highlighting how Positrons are “ideal for patrolling campuses and keeping them safe,” and how they can “quickly gain access inside buildings and tight areas.”
But perhaps most notably, Dallas College via its video declares: “we are proud for our police to be among the first in the state to use this tool.”
Go here to find out more about the Trikke Positron. Go here to schedule a demo of the Trikke Positron for your law enforcement agency. Go here to learn more about all of Trikke Tech’s professional mobility options.
Trikke Tech, Inc is proud to announce that we are now a GSA Schedule Contract holder, and TRIKKE becomes a preferred source for federal government buyers. This milestone positions the company to earn government contracts by streamlining the ordering process. TRIKKE has achieved a position as the industry’s leading manufacturer of innovative personal electric vehicles for professional patrol applications such as law enforcement, military, and industrial security.
Based in California, Trikke Tech, Inc has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing Trikke Personal Electric Vehicles with its unique proprietary technologies, delivering vehicles with outstanding balance, performance and reliability.
Trikke Tech, Inc maintains a robust R&D program to expand its core vehicle capabilities, working with clients on customized applications, designing and building the vehicles of the future to meet the demanding requirements of professional personal mobility.
TRIKKE’s GSA MAS Contract Number is 47QSMA21D08NY. Federal agencies can utilize our company’s GSA MAS Contract to efficiently procure Trikke Vehicles at pre-negotiated pricing, terms, and conditions. For more information on purchasing Trikke products through the GSA MAS contract, visit the GSA Advantage website or call us at (805) 693-0800.
“We are very pleased to be positioned as a GSA contract holder,” said TRIKKE CEO, Gildo Beleski. “Trikke Personal Electric Vehicles provide enhanced mobility for government agencies and for the modern police force, expanding foot patrol coverage and promoting positive engagement with communities. This award will simplify the ordering process for our clients, saving them time and administrative costs, and providing a quicker turnaround.”
About Trikke Tech, Inc.
Trikke Professional Mobility provides the world’s top-performing personal mobility vehicles that are spearheading the transformation of electric transportation. These multi-terrain, highly customizable vehicles are made in the USA, with specialty designs for efficiently moving around large campuses, congested public areas and events, and tactical patrol. Trikke’s growing domestic and international client list includes police and sheriff departments, colleges, university and medical campuses, state and federal governments, military, Air Force and Navy bases, airports, seaports, and private industry. Each has come to rely on Trikke’s personal mobility vehicles for the utmost in reliability, performance, safety and positive environmental impact. For more information, contact Trikke at (805) 693-0800 or email us at sales@trikke.com. To learn more, visit our website www.trikkemobility.com
Defenders deemed “more versatile than Segways,” preferred over other electric options
The outfit charged with maintaining a vibrant downtown Atlanta, Georgia, has discovered a better way to serve the public: equipping the ambassadors on its Ambassador Force with electric security Trikkes, most recently the Trikke Defender.
The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District is a public-private partnership and nonprofit, charitable organization that strives to create a more livable environment for the area. Clad in red and blue uniforms, its ambassadors serve to enhance the public safety environment by patrolling the streets and common areas, ready to offer friendly and helpful assistance.
“The general public always notices the Defender immediately.”
Additionally, ambassadors monitor downtown surveillance cameras and work with off-duty Atlanta Police officers, who are hired to assist them with their duties and provide selective enforcement. The Ambassador Force also staffs information booths and is tasked with keeping the sidewalks and trash containers clean.
While covering the 220-block district, ambassadors can be seen riding all-terrain public safety bikes, Segways, or – more notably, at least to the public’s eye – three-wheel Trikkes that are part of Trikke Tech’s lineup of electric mobility vehicles designed for professional applications.
After using early-model Trikke Patrollers for a time, the Ambassador Force recently upgraded its fleet with the newer Trikke Defender — a change for the better, according to Ambassador and Field Training Officer Albert Jackson.
“The Defender has expanded our range of operation, allowing us to mobilize more of our workforce to accomplish our mission,” says Jackson. “The transition [from the Patroller] to the Defender gave our riders more confidence and stability.”
When it comes to surveilling the cultural and economic center of a metropolitan area that’s home to more than 6 million people, confidence and stability matter.
Albert Jackson of Atlanta’s Ambassador Force prefers the Trikke Defender over the Segway.
So how exactly does the Trikke Defender help?
“The size and weight allow for a more even and stable ride,” says Jackson. “The Defender also presents a more commanding presence without taking up any more space on the horizon. Plus, the added suspension allows for better control and handling on uneven surfaces.”
As far as comparing security Trikkes to the infamous (and now discontinued) Segway – or other electric vehicles, for that matter — the field training officer is blunt:
“The Defender has proven to be more versatile than the Segway PT, and is preferred by me over other ‘electric’ operations.”
According to Jackson, he’s not the only Atlantan who’s sold:
“My co-workers are drawn more to the Defender than the Patroller, and the general public always notices the Defender immediately.”
So enamored with Trikke’s mobility solutions, was the Ambassador Force, they recently gifted the Atlanta Police Department with a Trikke POSI.TRON, the heavy-duty, top-of-the-line police Trikke.
As expected, the gift was much appreciated.
“I really enjoy using the POSI.TRON,” says Lieutenant Brendon Barth of the Atlanta PD’s Video Integration Center. “It has great mobility, speed, handling and visibility. I’m able to ride on the street and go places cars can’t go. It’s perfect around parks and crowds.”
Lieutenant Thomas Atzert of the Atlanta PD rides the Trikke POSI.TRON.
So what advice does Ambassador Jackson have for other organizations or law enforcement agencies considering security or police Trikkes?
“I would encourage them to compare the Trikke’s electric vehicle technology to any other products on the market,” he says. “I prefer Trikkes for our application and believe others can benefit from them, too.”
The Trikke Defender and POSI.TRON are part of Trikke Tech’s lineup of personal mobility vehicles for commercial and professional use and is expressly designed for patrolling applications related to law enforcement, emergency services, private security, event management and more.
When it comes to community policing, the way forward can seem stacked with complicated solutions to complex issues. But what if there was a relatively new tool available, one that’s advantageous for both police officers and the community?
What if that tool was already in use by many law-enforcement agencies across America?
That tool is the Trikke Positron, a three-wheel, battery-powered, personal mobility vehicle currently bridging the gap between police and the communities they serve in cities from coast to coast.
A vehicle that gives both officers and the community something to talk about.
In Virginia, the Norfolk PD calls the Trikke Interceptor “a major upgrade from the department’s old Segways,” and says, “everywhere you go, citizens stop and want to know what they are, what they’re called, if they can get one.”
In Berkeley, California, officers at the University of California have learned a valuable lesson. They say patrolling on police Trikkes makes them more approachable, and that people appreciate them being on a “more green” vehicle.
The Trikke Interceptor is part of Trikke Tech’s lineup ofpersonal mobility vehiclesfor commercial and professional use, and sales are restricted to government law enforcement agencies.
Beyond the “cool factor,” the Interceptor is a rugged yet easy-to-maneuver electric machine with a powerful all-wheel drive. It’s silent-running, collapsible and lightweight, but it’s also fast, with speeds up to 37mph. The quick-swap, lithium-ion battery has a range of 30 miles, and each vehicle comes with six ultra-bright headlights, emergency lights, air horn and a siren.
The San Francisco Bay Area’s BART Police use the Trikke Positron as a tool for patrolling the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.
In short, the Trikke Positron is a great tool that turns heads, starts conversations and promotes positive engagement with the community, all while helping officers do their job in a high-profile, multi-terrain vehicle.
Shouldn’t you consider such a tool for your department?
Go here to find out more about the Trikke Interceptor, or contact us directly for an in-person or virtual demonstration of this vehicle’s unlimited potential to make a difference in your community policing needs.
Request a quote
Contact us for more information or to request a quote
Trikkes considered a “major upgrade from the department’s old Segways.”
Last June, police officers in Norfolk, Virginia, began patrolling on electric Trikkes, and according to Officer Mitchel Ashton, the Trikke Positrons, as they’re known, have already made a difference:
“The Positron has greatly improved how quickly our officers can respond to calls in our downtown sector,” says Ashton, “typically beating marked units by several minutes.”
Timing can make all the difference, if your goal is public safety in Virginia’s second-most populous city within the Hampton Roads area, a region of nearly two million people.
“There’s no comparison to the other options currently on the market; the Trikkes are miles ahead.”
Recently, local ABC affiliate WVEC-TV featured Ashton and his Norfolk PD “Trikke squad” in a 13 News Now story, where it was noted the electric Trikkes were “a major upgrade from the department’s old Segways.”
“There’s no comparison to the other options currently on the market; the Trikkes are miles ahead,” says Ashton, who also spoke of plans to acquire more Positrons.
“All of my coworkers and the public love the Trikkes,” says Norfolk PD officer Mitchel Ashton (center).
When asked about the electric Trikke’s three best features, he cites its extreme portability, the 60V battery (its long life and quick-change capabilities), and the fact that the Positron comes completely outfitted (with ultra-bright headlights, emergency lights, airhorn and siren).
And what about people’s reactions to the three-wheel patrol vehicle? “All of my coworkers and the public love the Trikkes,” says Ashton. “They’ve never seen anything like them for police.”
He also notes in the 13 News Now video: “Everywhere that you go, citizens stop. They want to know what they are, what they’re called, if they can get one.”
As far as learning how to maneuver the three-wheel patrol vehicle, Ashton says, “we’ve had a 100% pass rate with our officers and haven’t had one reportable accident or fall.”
The Positron is part of Trikke Tech’s lineup of electric patrol vehicles for commercial and professional use, and sales are restricted to government law enforcement agencies.
So what advice would Ashton give to other departments considering the Trikke Positron? “Sign up for a demo, you won’t regret it.”
Go here to schedule a demo of the Trikke Positron for your law enforcement agency. Go here to learn more about all of Trikke Electric Patrol Vehicle options.
Recent Comments